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There is good chance that you might have heard the nursery rhyme "A Crooked Little Man."

It goes like this:

"There was a crooked man, and he went a crooked mile,

He found a crooked sixpence against a crooked stile;

He bought a crooked cat, which caught a crooked mouse,

And they all liv'd together in a little crooked house."

Legend has it that the poem, written by persons unknown, originated from the former wool merchant's village of Lavenham.

Illustrations from the novel A Book of Nursery Rhymes - Clara E. Atwood

The most convincing evidence of this link is the mention of a "little crooked house" and the notably crooked houses in Lavenham.

One possible reason for the crooked houses is mentioned by Miss Cellania as:

The town grew so fast that many of the houses were built in haste with green timber. As the wood dried, the timbers warped causing the houses to bend at unexpected angles.

One of the most notable crooked house is 7 High Street, built in the 14th century as part of a Hall House.

One report indicates that 7 High Street was originally the medieval hall's servant quarters. The house has had many uses, for example as an art gallery and then as tea rooms.

Currently, the Crooked House is owned by the Crooked Men, who have restored this historic house, after moving to the area in 2021.