The Crooked House, Gornal Wood - pub details
Address: Coppice Mill, Himley, Dudley, West Midlands, DY3 4DA [map] [gmap]
Tel: 08721 077 077 (ref 20614)
Coseley (3.8 miles), Tipton (4 miles), Cradley Heath (4.3 miles)
Pub facilities/features:
- Food served, Real ale
Pub suggested by Victoria on 15 Feb 2005
NB: Information may be incomplete or out of date as this pub is not currently registered.
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> Current user rating: 6.2/10 (rated by 13 users)
> Local guide: West Midlands pub guide
other pubs nearby:
Fiddlers Arms, Lower Gornal (0.7 miles), Five Ways Inn, Dudley (0.9 miles), Dudley Arms, Himley (1.0 miles), Old Bulls Head, Lower Gornal (1.0 miles), Cottage Inn, Kingswinford (1.2 miles) - see more nearby pubs
user reviews of the Crooked House, Gornal Wood
please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
5 most recent reviews of 12 shown - see all reviews
| Another well-known Black Country pub situated in Himley, close to the Staffordshire border. That intrepid explorer, Roger B, has, as usual, summed up the unusual features of this pub pretty well and I shall refrain from repeating these, suffice it to say that there were the inevitable wondrous and wide-eyed children rolling marbles up the window ledge during my recent visit. As you turn off the A 4176 ( the pub is signposted ) and drive down a narrow country lane towards the pub, you could be forgiven for thinking you had missed it, but helpful signs saying such things as "it is the right road, we promise" and "mind the bend or you'll be in the cut" encourage you to keep going. I would add another sign - watch out for the potholes in the road! The pub is now called The Crooked House, but was formerly called the Glynne Arms and that is the name by which it still appears in my well-thumbed Birmingham A-Z. The pub features on the front cover of the "Strangest Pubs in Britain" book and, notably, copies were on sale behind the bar.( the book is a good read, incidentally, although I know of at least 2 London pubs in it that are no more - Crockers Folly and the Widows Son ) It's a Banks pub, but both the Banks Bitter and Original ran out during my visit ( are there supply problems I wonder ? - see also my comment re the Shakespeare in Dudley ) .Other beers on were Hobgoblin and Ringwood Filly Drift. The pub proudly displays the Cask Marque symbol, but I don't think it's ever made the CAMRA Good Beer Guide ) It is now very much a food orientated family restaurant, although the original rooms at the front remain. There is a large restaurant area at the back, together with a childrens play area, so it's clear where the emphasis lies. Perhaps inevitably, the pub makes the most of its fame and I noted that a "Black Country Night and Ghost Hunt" occasionally takes place. In summary, I'd put this pub in the same category as The Nutshell in Bury St Edmunds for example. The curious amongst us will want to seek it out and visit - as I recommend you do - even if only once JohnBonser - 29 Sep 2009 13:26 |
| this pub is a strange one! not just the building itself, but the workings! I notice a few people saying the Banks's is not up to scratch. I must agree the last time i went down I had a pint of good old Mild. Now I thought it would be a nice pint being as I saw a cask marque plaque on the wall outside! But what a dissappointment! Warm, cloudy, the head dissappeared after one sip, changed it for a lager and that wasnt much better! Food is a bit upmarket for Lower Gornal, the whole place seems a little stuck up its own behind!! Also not as busy as I remember it being on the hot sunny days of a weekend! O yes and 45 mins for a tuna and a BLT sandwich is a little excessive!! catmandoza - 3 Jul 2009 13:28 |
| After seeing the pub on the news we decided to pop down yesterday evening. The place was fantastic, we've both been before quite a few times a few years ago, however, have never seen the place looking as vibrant and busy as it was yesterday. There was a fantastic atmosphere and all staff were really welcoming. We ate and the food was wonderful, it was lovely to have different choices other than your standard, often microwaved, fish and chips, new york chicken, bland pasta dishes etc and we both agreed the prices were really reasonable. Both inside and outside areas were lovely and the new outside area, that is currently being developed, looks like it will be a wonderful additon to this fantastic attraction. Thankyou for a wonderful evening! We shall definately be back! Jemp - 2 Jul 2009 23:50 |
| I have used the Crooked house on and off for years, mainly for a drink. On the 3rd April my wife and I decided that as it was a nice night we would go for a meal out, the first pub we tried was expensive and meant a wait of 30 minutes for a table, we decided to go to the Crooked House just a short distance away. The last time we were there the place was packed, this time there were 5 people in the restaurant area, that should have started warning bells ringing. Looking through the menu I got the impression this was a restaurant punching above its weight, there were not many nice basic meals on offer, pigs feet in red wine was my starter and wasn’t really worth the mess or the effort of separating the meat from the bone. My wife had lasagne and chips that she said was very nice, with her meal she had a glass of red wine this she said was also very nice, but at £2 -75 a small glass I wouldn’t have expected anything else. The menu was limited in its options, I had pie of the day with chips and peas, the pie was steak and ale. Everything was cooked fresh there was no doubt of that, my steak and ale pie was delivered to the table in its own dish and was red hot, it comprised of a mixture of meat a few other vegetables with a pastry top, there was no added gravy with the meal this caused the meal to be very dry, my verdict on the pie, it was dry had a vinegary taste, and I have tasted far better. The Banks bitter was warm and not particularly reflective of a good pint of Banks, it was flat and had no bite to it. Would I return there? Certainly not for a meal, looking at the number of people using the restaurant, if it was my business I would instantly dump the whistles and bells menu, it’s the wrong one for the area, supply good down to earth basic meals and that place will be packed, steak and ale pie comes with a nice gravy, cod chips and peas, some nice faggots, a curry, these are the meals that will attract custom. On the plus side the staff were first class, I would love to see them succeed in this venture, sadly the low number of customers is evidence that they are not giving the customer what they want. Jim of Bearwood JimofBearwood - 4 Apr 2009 00:38 |
| A fairly normal Banks's pub (beer and food wise) but because of its unusual features and crookidness it is worth a visit if in the area. (The pub lies just inside Staffordshire btw, although half of the driveway is in the West Mids county..) dpaajones - 29 Mar 2009 17:21 |
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