Ever spotted one of the iconic crooked houses in England and wondered just what went wrong?

Most of the affected houses are Tudor, but not all. There is not a single factor that creates the charming (or unsettling!?) slope, as many of the causes were not due to original construction, as it might first seem.

One issue we see with original construction is the use of unprepared and too fresh wood in the rush to build houses quickly, which led to the timber warping and twisting.

Most of the causes, however, occurred centuries later. Renovations and additions are a primary culprit, especially when load-bearing elements of the original were removed (oops!) or when a new wing was added without proper measurement or care. External factors play a critical part, as well, such as changes in draining causing area flooding which then rots the foundation or nearby mining shaking and cracking the foundation or even creating sinkholes below.

The majority of these houses around the country have been reinforced and stabilized with steel frames, embrasures, etc. to keep everything in good working order for centuries to come, even if the floors tilt and slope at odd angles and the outside looks like a tiered cake on a summer day.

To learn a bit more about these charming houses, check out this post from Atlas Obscura:

The Asymmetrical Charm of Crooked Houses