POSTCARDS possibly from the 1920s or 30s showing The Crooked House at Himley have been unearthed.
Frances Dale, from West Yorkshire, said she inherited the old postcards which have a “good bit of history written on the reverse”.
She got in touch to share the old cards after seeing hearing about “the awful events” that have left the famous pub a heap of rubble after a severe blaze on Saturday August 5 and subsequent demolition on Monday August 7.
Unsure how the cards came to be in the family, she said: “It may have been an uncle who did building work in old houses - maybe they were left in someone's loft. It's amazing what people leave behind when they move.”
The back of one of the cards reads: “The Glynne Arms, Kingswinford, is situated in the parish of Himley, Staffordshire, about three miles from Dudley. It is named after Sir Stephen Glynne - the brother-in-law of the late Rt Hon W B Gladstone - to whom the estate on which it is situated at one time belonged.
“Its peculiar position at the extreme edge of this estate - where it is joined by land belonging to the Earl of Dudley - causes it to be sometimes described in error as being on the estate of his lordship. This, however, is not the case, but it explains why the coal has only been mined from under one end of the house.
“Thus, while one end of the house is at its original level, the southern portion (or lower end) has sunk several feet; yet owing to the house being unusually well-built, not a crack is to be noticed, and in this respect it is almost unique. It has stood in this peculiar position for more than half a century, and has long been known as "The Crooked” or "Siden House”.
“The appearance of the interior is even more striking and interesting. Everything seems out of plumb, and the general law of gravity set at defiance.
“Here, walking through the slanting rooms and passages, you have all the sensations peculiar to a visit to the famous Tower of Pisa, in Italy, or pacing the deck of a ship in a heavy sea.”
Do you have old photographs of The Crooked House? We’d love to see them. Email bev.holder@newsquest.co.uk
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