A local story has piqued national interest this week, as people speculate about what really happened to The Crooked House in Himley near Dudley.
A fire tore through the iconic building, previously dubbed “Britain’s wonkiest pub”, which was then torn down days later.
Firefighters said they experienced some difficulties reaching the blaze after the property was devoured by the fire over the weekend.
Station commander Liam Hilton of Staffordshire Fire Service said on Monday that there were “mounds of mud and soil placed in the centre of the road and covering the whole of [it].”
Hilton also explained that after the fire, what remained was unsafe – although campaigners wanted the building to be restored as the exterior was still just about intact.
However, it was then mysteriously demolished after standing in the Black Country for almost three centuries – and the internet has pressing questions about it all.
On Wednesday, Staffordshire Police said it was treating the fire that gutted the pub as arson.
Here’s what we know – and what we don’t – about what happened.
Built in 1765 as a farmhouse, the building started to sink on one side due to mining in the local area in the 19th Century.
It was turned into a pub by Wolverhampton and Dudley Brewers in the 1940s, at which point it became a local tourist attraction.
The building was sold by previous owner Marston’s to a privater buyer in March after it was listed for £675,000.
Police say they’re looking to speak to the new owners, whose identity is still not known to the public.
Authorities are still trying to unravel the cause behind the blaze which tore apart the inside.
That means people are still scratching their heads around three mysteries: what the cause of the fire was, why the nearby roads were blocked to stop people getting to the pub, and who pulled down the charred remains
There is certainly a lot of speculation about what happened on X (formerly Twitter), including from First Dates’ host, Fred Sirieix.
The mayor of the West Midlands, Andy Street, has called for the building to be rebuilt “brick by brick” and asked South Staffordshire Council to make sure “any attempt to change its use blocked”.
He added: “We will not let the Crooked House be consigned to history.
“We believe that great pubs have immense cultural and historical value here in the West Midlands and we should be taking steps to protect and preserve their heritage.”
Former Labour MP for Dudley North and now an independent peer, Lord Ian Austin, said the incident was a tragedy, writing on social media: “Set on fire and now demolished. Very interested to see what happens to the site now.”
He added that the identity of owners will be revealed via the Land Registry.
Former owners at Martson’s said they were “shocked and disappointed” to learn about the fire, and that they’re working with the local community to understand what happened.
Detective chief superintendent Tom Chisholm of Staffordshire Police said: “We understand the significance of this much-loved building and the upset and anger felt by many so want to reassure you we’re doing all we can to understand more about what happened, and who was responsible.
“There is lots of misinformation circulating within communities and online and this is unhelpful. We’re trying to provide accurate and timely updates, but as I am sure you can appreciate, there is a lot of work and liaison with a number of partners which needs to be completed and this takes time.
“There are also certain things that police and fire do not have the powers to deal with, the decision around partial demolition of the building for example, when the scene was handed back to the owner.
“We are working hard with our fire colleagues to understand the cause of the fire and are in contact with the landowner, we will keep you updated with any further significant developments.”