The Crooked House, Dudley

One of the nation’s most famous ‘strange pubs’ by dint of it being seriously subsided in a torre pendente di Pisa style resulting in one end of the main building being (I am told) 4ft lower than the other, 15 degrees off-centre. Perhaps less remarked upon, but almost as strange, is the long gloomy drive up a rutted and fly-tipped track to get to it – the pub is at the end of this track and felt very, very isolated on a mid-December evening. Making this journey in twilight we got the whole spooky effect, especially when we entered (by heaving open a door that leans into you) to be greeted by…nobody. The place was empty and deathly quiet. After a couple of minutes a ghostly teenage apparition emerged from the depths; pleasant enough, took my cash and then promptly disappeared for five minutes before re-emerging with my change. She then disappeared again and that was the last human presence outside of our own we encountered. Having had plenty of time to clock four empty handpumps we all opted for the Banks Dark Mild on keg (which was a decent drop) and perhaps a merciful fate given the reviews of the cask below. The interior layout; two rooms either side of the bar, with a large and in darkness eatery out the back. Just the right-hand room open, perhaps no surprise given the lack of punters. The interior is basic but pleasingly traditional; quarry tile flooring, wood panelling, cream walls. The pervading smell of damp hints at there being more problems incoming for the fabric of the building. The advertised wonkiness is everywhere and the floor is far from level and yes, you indeed feel drunk if you walk around the room - I had to catch myself a couple of times. It’s absolutely worth a visit once to say you’ve done it. Whether you’d be tempted back for seconds is, based on my visit, unlikely.