The Crooked House

If you notice a marble rolling uphill at the Crooked House, you might start to think you’ve had one too many pints at this farmhouse-turned-pub. But it’s actually the building’s unusual structure at work. Thanks to subsidence as a result of mining in the 1800s, the left side of the pub sat a little over one meter (about four feet) lower than the right, giving way to some seriously trippy optical illusions to enjoy with your ale.

Built in 1765, the farmhouse officially became a public house in 1830. The pub was originally called the Siden House (siden means “crooked” in the local Black Country dialect). Not everyone found its architectural quirks charming: The building was condemned as unsafe in the 1940s and was all set to be knocked down. But Wolverhampton and Dudley Breweries came to the pub’s rescue, armoring the building with girders that rendered it safe for visitors while allowing its lopsided charm to remain intact.

Unfortunately, another tragedy came for the Crooked House. After a fire on August 5, 2023—which police believe was set deliberately—the pub was forced to close. Shortly after the investigation was announced, the owners illegally tore down what remained of the building.

But even demolition can’t keep the Crooked House down. In February 2024, the South Staffordshire Council ordered the building’s owners to rebuild the lopsided pub, architectural quirks and all. They have until 2027 to restore the Crooked House pub “back to what it was prior to the fire.”