stillp Posted August 6, 2023 Report Share Posted August 6, 2023 (edited) The Crooked House in Himley used to be a great pub, but it was sold to a private buyer last month and has now burned down. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-66421163 I used to have fun taking visitors there when working in Kingswinford. There are a few surfaces that look as if they slope up but actually slope down, so if you knew the place it was easy to win a bet on which way a marble will roll! Pete Edited August 6, 2023 by stillp Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stuart Posted August 6, 2023 Report Share Posted August 6, 2023 4 minutes ago, stillp said: The Crooked House in Himley used to be a great pub, but it was sold to a private buyer last month and has now burned down. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-66421163 I used to have fun taking visitors there when working in Kingswinford. There are a few surfaces that look as if they slope up but actually slope down, so if you knew the place it was easy to win a bet on which way a marble will roll! Pete Theres a lot of rumours flying round online that it was deliberate Stuart. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stillp Posted August 6, 2023 Author Report Share Posted August 6, 2023 Well, sold privately, buyer states that it won't open as a pub again, then catches fire a month later... The restaurant at the back had to be evacuated occasionally when the methane monitors detected high levels of gas from the mines underneath. Might that have something to do with it? Pete Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stuart Posted August 6, 2023 Report Share Posted August 6, 2023 38 minutes ago, stillp said: The restaurant at the back had to be evacuated occasionally when the methane monitors detected high levels of gas from the mines underneath. Might that have something to do with it? Pete Only if someone lit a match Stuart. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted August 6, 2023 Report Share Posted August 6, 2023 That happens quite often here in W.London, especially if it is a listed building. Roger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
SuzanneH Posted August 6, 2023 Report Share Posted August 6, 2023 (edited) 1 hour ago, stuart said: Theres a lot of rumours flying round online that it was deliberate Stuart. It happens all the time round here to historic buildings that are refused planning permission. The Great Barns in Harmondsworth several years ago and The Dowerhouse in Harlington are just two examples. We have also lost several very old pubs the same way. If I said who the purchasers were you would call me racist. I see Roger beat me to it. Edited August 6, 2023 by SuzanneH Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PodOne Posted August 6, 2023 Report Share Posted August 6, 2023 Not unique to London believe me. We have had one listed Georgian warehouse protected also for the bat roosts it contained go up in smoke then demolished and a new housing estate getting built just 2 months later. This has been followed with two churches one of which contained priceless wood carvings predating the civil war go up in flames again replaced with housing while in Leeds and Bradford quite a few Mills with listed status have been lost and replaced with housing or allowed to deteriorate to the point of collapse first then go for housing. I think a lot of deals are cut under the table as occasionally the corruption comes to light. Same applies to the Green belt which has disappeared. It seems too much of a coincidence especially with regard to the mills with the subsequent "developers" often being previously declined planning. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stuart Posted August 6, 2023 Report Share Posted August 6, 2023 People often go on about Third world corruption, try looking closer to home! Stuart. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
SuzanneH Posted August 6, 2023 Report Share Posted August 6, 2023 8 minutes ago, PodOne said: Not unique to London believe me. We have had one listed Georgian warehouse protected also for the bat roosts it contained go up in smoke then demolished and a new housing estate getting built just 2 months later. This has been followed with two churches one of which contained priceless wood carvings predating the civil war go up in flames again replaced with housing while in Leeds and Bradford quite a few Mills with listed status have been lost and replaced with housing or allowed to deteriorate to the point of collapse first then go for housing. I think a lot of deals are cut under the table as occasionally the corruption comes to light. Same applies to the Green belt which has disappeared. It seems too much of a coincidence especially with regard to the mills with the subsequent "developers" often being previously declined planning. I think our Council has got wise to this. The Dower house has stood with scaffolding for many many years after the fire and is falling down/deteriorating but the Council hasn’t given way yet. Nor have they for the pub that was demolished overnight, no planning permission is forthcoming as yet. The barns in Harmondsworth have long since become a housing estate. These are just a couple of examples, we have so many examples you just couldn’t count them up. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Charlie D Posted August 6, 2023 Report Share Posted August 6, 2023 If the site is bulldozed and a housing estate is built lets hope that the locals make it very clear to any perspective house purchaser that underneath their chosen house is a uncharted maze of old mine working and underground streams that have caused substantial subsidence before and may well do again in the near future. It should also be pointed out to them that because of the history of the area it would be almost impossible to insure against any damage cause by land movement. Hopefully it would result in the developers ending up with a load of houses impossible to sell. Would anyone really want to live somewhere like that? Charlie. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stuart Posted August 6, 2023 Report Share Posted August 6, 2023 7 minutes ago, Charlie D said: If the site is bulldozed and a housing estate is built lets hope that the locals make it very clear to any perspective house purchaser that underneath their chosen house is a uncharted maze of old mine working and underground streams that have caused substantial subsidence before and may well do again in the near future. It should also be pointed out to them that because of the history of the area it would be almost impossible to insure against any damage cause by land movement. Hopefully it would result in the developers ending up with a load of houses impossible to sell. Would anyone really want to live somewhere like that? Charlie. Youd be surprised, they buy houses on flood plains and wonder why they flood! Stuart. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stillp Posted August 6, 2023 Author Report Share Posted August 6, 2023 3 hours ago, stuart said: Only if someone lit a match Stuart. It wouldn't take much if the buildings were full of methane. Pete Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TR NIALL Posted August 6, 2023 Report Share Posted August 6, 2023 Here’s an iconic Building that so called Developers demolished some years ago over a Bank Holiday Weekend they were informed to Rebuild every single part of it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Steve-B Posted August 6, 2023 Report Share Posted August 6, 2023 5 hours ago, stillp said: Well, sold privately, buyer states that it won't open as a pub again, then catches fire a month later... Pete Funny you mention that as a house 4 doors away last winter had a similar accidental fire, now the council seems very happy for it to be redeveloped Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mark69 Posted August 7, 2023 Report Share Posted August 7, 2023 Very sad indeed , flattened today as deemed unsafe. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
monty Posted August 13, 2023 Report Share Posted August 13, 2023 On 8/6/2023 at 3:23 PM, stuart said: Youd be surprised, they buy houses on flood plains and wonder why they flood! Stuart. Very true Stuart! There is an area in Cirencester called Watermoor. What did they do? Built a Tesco & an Aldi on it amongst others & wonder why it floods! Planning madness. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted August 13, 2023 Report Share Posted August 13, 2023 Another problem of building on flood plains is that the flood plain will move next door causing more devastation. Roger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kiwifrog Posted August 13, 2023 Report Share Posted August 13, 2023 On 8/6/2023 at 6:54 PM, Steve-B said: Funny you mention that as a house 4 doors away last winter had a similar accidental fire, now the council seems very happy for it to be redeveloped When I lived in Reading there was an art deco cinema not far from where I lived that was bought by a property developer but he was limited with what he could do with it because it had grade 2 listing. About 6 months after he purchased it there was an accidental fire ? that damaged the building and it had to be knocked down for safety reasons, I believe they built 20 odd flats on the site Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stillp Posted August 13, 2023 Author Report Share Posted August 13, 2023 On 8/7/2023 at 8:32 PM, Mark69 said: Very sad indeed , flattened today as deemed unsafe. The council building inspectors had stated that only parts of the upper storey were unsafe. Pete Quote Link to post Share on other sites
SuzanneH Posted August 13, 2023 Report Share Posted August 13, 2023 Just look at the top comment here of a Facebook Post about our local Art Deco Regal Cinema that has featured in many TV programmes including Poirot. Everyone knows the score except the authorities who perhaps choose to turn a blind eye, who knows? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Grahamgl Posted August 13, 2023 Report Share Posted August 13, 2023 And now the pub has been demolished how can fire investigators look for the cause of the fire, suspicious to say the least. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stuart Posted August 14, 2023 Report Share Posted August 14, 2023 22 hours ago, Grahamgl said: And now the pub has been demolished how can fire investigators look for the cause of the fire, suspicious to say the least. The Fire investigation dogs have been in and declared it deliberate from what Ive heard. Stuart. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stillp Posted August 14, 2023 Author Report Share Posted August 14, 2023 Apparently the guy behind the company that bought it also owns a pub near me in Willey, The Sarah Mansfield, which was completely gutted inside within a couple of days of his purchase. Pete Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Hamish Posted August 14, 2023 Report Share Posted August 14, 2023 No arrests despite speculation https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/news/stoke-on-trent-news/police-dispel-rumours-arrests-crooked-8672609.amp selling demolition bricks. https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/news/local-news/bricks-demolished-crooked-house-pub-8676949.amp Apparently the new owners own (in part) the adjacent waste site and we’re in dispute with the brewery about the shared access road. I guess all conveniently sorted now. interesting company directorship history for mr and Mrs taylor http://www.checkcompany.co.uk/director/303913/MR-GEORGE-ADAM-TAYLOR http://www.checkcompany.co.uk/director/13487616/MRS-CARLY-TAYLOR Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Charlie D Posted August 14, 2023 Report Share Posted August 14, 2023 2 hours ago, Hamish said: ...selling demolition bricks... The people selling the bricks are no better than the people who burnt it down and then demolished it. Life seems to be all about greed and going for a quick buck these days. Charlie. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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