THE owners of a house in a village known for appearing in beloved family films have transformed their home, despite backlash from the neighbours.
Visitors flock from all over the world to look at the centuries old wooden homes in Britain’s best-preserved medieval village.
Lavenham in Suffolk is famous for its ancient houses and for a feature in the wizarding world as Godric’s Hollow, the home of Harry Potter’s parents.
Beyond admiring the picture-postcard streets, tourists can now have a “historic experience” at the 600-year-old Crooked House.
Alex and Oli Khalil-Martin bought their wonky home for £400,000 during the pandemic. The famous orange property was built in the 14th century and is the most photographed home in the village.
The duo aim to bring The Crooked House’s 600-year-old history to life with immersive tours and dinners, but some locals say it’s brought toil and trouble.
The historic experience includes a 75-minute theatrical house tour guided by OIi and Alex, who call themselves “the Crooked Men”. The visitors will “time travel together through six centuries and four historic rooms”.
Alternatively, the house hosts award-winning black-tie dinners: “an immersive, sociable experience, bringing to life the 600-year story of our ancient home.”
The 16 guests will be treated to a Champagne Reception and home-cooked three course meal.
The Crooked House’s invitation for guests to take part in its history has had mixed reviews from some of Lavenham’s locals.
One villager said: “The Crooked House used to be a tea shop years ago but has now appeared to have become a rather up-market restaurant with prices to match.
“Not many villagers can afford to pay their prices – and for locals it is no big deal to be eating in a house that is six or seven hundred years old.
“Customers are told that they are helping to preserve a historic building which may be true but it is also for the benefit of the owners – who frankly don’t seem to have much to do with the village.
“I am sure they enjoy living there but they seem to want other people to help pay for it.”
Oli and Alex told The Sun: “We have a very good relationship with our community here in Lavenham and are proud to be part of a thriving and happy community in the village.
“We support local organisations and regularly participate in and help sponsor village events, such as the summer Garden Festival, village Halloween trail and upcoming Christmas events.”
They added: “We love living in our 600-year-old home and finding ways for the Lavenham community and everyone to share in its story.
“Everything we do here helps us protect and preserve this special place for the future – a home we are dedicating our lives to preserving and protecting for future generations.”
The pair previously told The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (S.P.A.B) that they want to use the money from the dinners and tours to help maintain the building.
The next project will be removing the 1960s concrete render from the back wall which is trapping moisture and causing the ancient oak frame to rot.
Instead a more traditional lime plaster will be used.
Tensions rose after a recent “historic experience” which was branded by the village locals as a “foolish” and “crazy stunt” that sent them into a panic.
One local alleged: “They wrapped cloths round poles, soaked them in paraffin and lit them and walked through the streets just a few feet away from wooden houses.
“It was a crazy stunt and some people were so worried they called the police.
“It was a foolish thing to do and could have led to a disastrous fire that might have wiped out dozens of ancient buildings.
“The owners of the Crooked House were apparently later warned by the fire service that while it wasn’t illegal, it was a very dangerous thing to do.”
The incident in question was reportedly a torchlit village procession which involved a five minute walk with flaming torches before a black-tie dinner.
Oli and Alex countered the complaints and said: “We worked closely with the District Council, Fire Service and Police to ensure this was a safe occasion.
“We had a full fire safety plan in place, which all partners were happy with and the 5-minute walk with our dinner guests happened without any incidents.
“For the same event over the subsequent years, we replaced the flaming torches with LED lanterns instead, as all our events here evolve creatively each time we host them.”
Another point of contention is the pair’s vintage MG, nicknamed Henry.
One resident said: “They have also upset locals by parking their classic sports car right in front of the house – it stays there for ages covered in tarpaulin and people claim it spoils the look of the historic properties.”
The duo said that they often cover their vintage MG when it rains to stop rusting, and due to a lack of private parking they have to leave it in the street but the car is uncovered most days.
“Many people take photos of our wonderfully wonky home, so we do everything we can to ensure The Crooked House and Henry look their best,” they added.
Oli and Alex’s home is said to be the inspiration for the old English nursery rhyme “There was a Crooked Man”.
Previously, the house was used as an art gallery, tea room and even as the backdrop for fashion shoots and TV commercials.
The house was once part of a grander Hall House built by a wool merchant in the midst of the booming Lavenham wool industry.
What is The Crooked House today would have been the kitchen and pantry with a weaving workshop above.
The unique wonky shape was due to the merchant wanting to build his grand home so quickly that he didn’t allow the oak beams to season. When the timber dried it contorted leaving a solid but crooked frame.
The local council said the house is a much-loved local landmark and one of the world’s most photographed homes.
A spokesperson for Babergh District Council said: “As a district council we are extremely proud of the history and character of our wool towns, and celebrate Lavenham as one of the most important and best-preserved Medieval villages in England.
“Built in 1395, The Crooked House is now home to Alex and Oli who document their ‘crooked adventures’ and the restoration of the property on Instagram and on their website.”
Whilst the locals may grumble at how the pair have transformed their home, the tours are currently sold out until April, showing its popularity.
Just as the house originally brought wealth to the town as the centre of the prosperous wool trade, Oli and Alex similarly hope to use The Crooked House to protect and preserve Lavenham.
