Drone data unearthed of the Crooked House pub
A high-definition 3D model providing detailed architectural data of the demolished Crooked House pub has been discovered in our drone archives.
The 3D scan of what was dubbed ‘Britain’s wonkiest pub’ in Himley could prove invaluable in helping to ensure it is accurately recreated after council planners ordered the owners to rebuild it within three years.
The aerial footage was captured in 2016 by Drone Surveying Managing Director Jim Morris to test the capabilities of a new drone. It covers every angle of the site and allows precise measurements to be taken such as the sizes and placement of individual bricks.
“The 3D visualisation we have produced could be used to generate a precise architect’s drawing to support and monitor the accuracy of the re-build. It could also be of real interest to enforcement officers and planning engineers to assist them in ensuring the building is an exact replica of what stood on the site prior to the fire.
The Crooked House was a much-loved feature of our landscape and local history and, like so many others, we were devastated to hear what had happened. We would love this mountain of data we have at our fingertips to be used for good to ensure people around the country can once again come to the Midlands and appreciate the unique beauty of the Crooked House which had stood on that site for more than 250 years.”
Drone Surveying works primarily with many of the UK’s largest house builders to provide real-time models that track progress on their construction sites against the plans they are working to in order to avoid potentially costly errors or oversights.
Jim added:
“Day to day, our work is on new build housing sites – ensuring they are progressing in line with the approved plans and in the most cost-effective and time efficient way for the builder.
I surveyed the Crooked House several years ago purely as a site I had a personal interest in when we invested in a new drone so I could test out its capabilities. After getting permission from the landlord I was about to spend time surveying it from the air combined with a ground camera to capture a full picture of the site.
That data could now be invaluable and perhaps not something that had been recorded elsewhere as this situation is not one anyone would have been able to foresee.”
The future of the site has dominated headlines since it was completely flattened last summer days after a suspected arson attack severely damaged the building. Calls for it to be re-built have been at the centre of a heart-felt community campaign spearheaded by a 37,000-strong Facebook group. In February, South Staffordshire Council issued an enforcement notice for unlawful demolition and ordered the owners to rebuild it back “to what it was before the fire” within three years.
The Crooked House was built as a farmhouse in 1765 and is thought to have been a pub since around 1830. It was famous for its wonky floors which were the result of mining subsidence which caused one side of the building to be lower than the other and optical illusions inside the building made objects appear to roll uphill.
