Britain Keeps Knocking Down and Rebuilding Historic Pubs
Stringent preservation laws and community affection for local pubs has obliged several property owners to reconstruct historic buildings after demolishing them.
After it was gutted in a fire, the Crooked House pub in the UK was illegally demolished. Its owners are now obliged to rebuild the the 18th-century structure exactly as it was.
Photographer: Jacob King / PA Images via Getty Images
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In August 2023, the 260-year-old Crooked House pub, located near the town of Dudley in the English Midlands, was heavily damaged in a suspicious fire and then abruptly bulldozed, without authorization, by its new owners. A national outcry over the loss of the much-loved 18th century building ensued. This week, local authorities ordered the pub’s owners to rebuild it, brick by brick, exactly as it was.