On Saturday night, August 5, beloved Black Country pub the Crooked House was gutted by fire, leaving the 18th-century building little more than a burned-out shell.
Less than 48 hours later, bulldozers had reduced it to a pile of bricks and mortar.
The iconic pub in Himley, Dudley - dubbed ‘Britain’s wonkiest pub’ - was severely damaged by the fire over the weekend. The lopsided West Midlands landmark was dubbed ‘Britain’s wonkiest pub’ and was a much loved far and wide.
The incident has prompted an investigation by the police and fire services to establish the cause of the blaze.
A petition was launched calling for it to be rebuilt at the Black Country Living Museum, however, the museum has ruled this out. The Crooked House is not the first pub in the region to go up in flames and is unlikely to be the last.
In the wake of the tragic blaze on Saturday, we take a look at five pubs across Birmingham that have met a fiery demise over the years.
1. The Vine, Aston
In June 2023, the Vine pub in Aston was badly damaged by a suspected arson attack. Nearby roads were closed as up to 40 firefighters tried to tame the blaze. The fire ripped through the ground floor causing 100 per cent damage. It also affected 20 per cent of the second floor, but did not breach the roof. The pub had stood derelict for many years prior to the fire. Station commander Gemma McSweeney from West Midlands Fire Service said at the time the early indications suggested it was a ‘deliberate fire’.
2. The Farcroft, Handsworth
A terrible blaze spread through the Farcroft pub in Handsworth in October 2022. Investigators deemed the fire to be accidental after an electrical fault. The fire was centred on the first floor and the old hotel and pub’s roof space. A full search of the premises was conducted and all persons were accounted for. The giant pub on the corner of Rookery Road and Onibury Road remains closed today.
3. The Bagot Arms, Erdington
In 2021, two fires engulfed the landmark Bagot Arms pub in Erdington. Both blazes were confirmed by fire investigators to have been started by arsonists. The pub served its last drinks in 2018 and was disused for a time, save for a cannabis farm being discovered in 2019. The site is now the subject of a brand-new apartment complex. Demolition work on the pub began in April 2023. The new 52-home block of flats, with three and four storeys, will have 11 one-bed, one-person apartments, 25 one-bed, two-people apartments, and 10 two-bed, three-people apartments.
4. The Kingstanding Pub, Kingstanding
A new Lidl is set to replace the derelict Kingstanding pub and Kingstanding Shopping Centre. Fire destroyed much of the pub in 2019, with its boarded-up windows now covered in graffiti. Birmingham City Council approved Lidl’s plans in January 2023 and said the pub would need ‘substantial rebuilding work’ if it were to ever be restored. Much of the roof had fallen through as fire investigators said this was where they believed the blaze started. Some days after the blaze, West Midlands Police said they suspected arson as the cause of the fire. The pub had stood derelict since 2016.