Tales of the Urban Explorer: Tilstone House

Is my memory finally starting to wane?

For the life of me, I could not remember how we entered the grounds of ‘Tilstone House’, a former country wedding venue, and now a partial wreck due to the fire around three years earlier.

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After checking the Google Maps overheads, it came back to me.

This was another Daresbury Hall in the sense, that we had to crawl through a hole in the fence, scramble through thick brambles, get a view of the house, look for cameras then timidly walk around hoping we had no missed any surveillance gear attached to the corners.

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Unlike the 'hall', there was nothing, and it was in markedly better nick than Daresbury without even a hint of scaffolding. Had the owners given up trying to secure 'Tilstone House'? You can't exactly walk in through the front gate, but this was easy..., like very easy.

Built in 1888, by Lord Daresbury…, hang on a minute.., isn’t that bloke not content with one massive house that hosts Zombie Apolocayse runs now? It seems not, these rich landowners had the peasants by the balls in those days and lived a lavish life with multiple mansions to live in.

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Prices for weddings start at £4000, but don’t bother filing in the form, as they are unlikely to respond. Not giving a thought to weddings, we snuck around the rear and @anidiotexplores found a loose window that was amiable to being opened.

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We were inside, and the vandals had solidly beaten us to it.

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A luxury staircase donned with the finest Axminster carpets, chandeliers on the turn, and a ropey-looking upper part. Best not to start jumping up and down to see how long it lasts.

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No doubt there’s been some swinging on that chandelier, looking at all the bent parts.

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Properties don’t half deteriorate quickly if not heated and looked after. Look at the grisly colours of the corridor.

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This little office looked interesting, a shame it was burnt.

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A few souvenirs had survived; some paper doesn't burn as well as others.

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One of the kitchens, and while it’s not completely gutted, you can see extensive smoke damage. What are those things on the table?

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Some kind of batteries, and I don’t mean the teapot.

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Water carafes for the guests sat waiting for their orders. Tap water in the UK is free if you order food. Bottled water is a different matter and ridiculously expensive.

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I have been advised to never open fridges, but still do. Those blue bags…, now what’s in there, human kidneys ready for the black market?

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Take your pick for bath time. A spot of Ant Killer could do wonders for your itchy ball sack?

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Ugh, kind of grotty but a few could be saved.

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Again chandeliers are meant to be pulled off the ceiling and swung on, right? Not that I do any of that shit.

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A small bar, could we order some refreshments? Exploring is a tough old job.

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The scene could almost pass for normal besides the window frame that’s been pulled off its hinges.

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Mahogany furnishings, some wrapped up in cellophane. Were they planning to take some of this stuff out of here?

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… or had this just been delivered when the disaster struck? Either way, it's sad to see expensive furniture lying here and waiting for the next set of arseholes to come in and destroy it.

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These old mansion houses are part of England’s heritage, and there are LOTS of them dotted around the country. Most are not in this sorry state.

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The bedrooms looked quite stripped, the bases and mattresses mostly separated.

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That skylight window being wide open is hardly going to help ‘Tilstone House’. As it rains in England a lot, the floor will soon get soaked and then the roof will eventually collapse.

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Ugh really. Can’t you use the fucking toilet instead?

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Sections of ‘Tilstone House’ looked great and then we would suddenly come to another burnt section and the view would change dramatically.

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For those cold nights when you need an extra sheet or blanket.

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It’s a corner shower that technically still works. Stand for long enough and England's rain will pour through the roof and wash your sweat away. Cavemen used to do it, why can't we?

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Blimey, up here things were getting downright derpy.

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I thought coffins were supposed to be in the cellar areas. Those vampires don't like the sunlight much and being pink, you know there's a girly one in there not daring to open the lid.

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I bet they all work too.

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Walking around the upper towers was a little sketchier than the lower reaches.

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Now that's a great way to take a bath, in style. Gently lower yourself in, and pray the floor doesn't collapse.

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One of the more luxurious suites.

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Once you traverse the gap you enter reality again. The left side looked very ropey, the right, not much better. I took a running jump and hoped the floor, far side would not crumble and give way.

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After that, it was one vandalised room after another.

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The roof has gone on the right side. It’s adios to this room; it’s not going to last much longer.

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What a mess, and nobody seems to give a crap. Lord Daresbury would be turning over in his grave. Maybe he still roams the area and is locked in a coffin somewhere in the lower vaults?

There was definitely evidence of those bloodsuckers types at 'Tilstone House'.

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Ha, now who do you think wrote that?

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The surrounding grounds were fabulous and we snuck several externals before noticing that there was probably someone still living next door?

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It looked a little sealed and gave off a distinct aroma of human habitation, so we didn’t hang around long.

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Back through the jungle, past the laughable fencing, and off to the next explore.

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It actually looks a lot better than I thought it would for having been burned like you said. Usually those are a total gut job. Did you pick up one of those things on the table? It looks like a canister light to me that sits flush in the ceiling. You would have had to looked at the bottom of it to tell though. Do you wear a mask when you go to these places? The black mold looks horrible in some of them. You should wear a hazmat suit!

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Did you pick up one of those things on the table?

I didn't, sometimes I look at items, it depends what they are, I didn't recognize these.

Do you wear a mask when you go to these places?

I don't. After 400 explores, it's probably too late for me to avoid catching something shitty. I do cough sometimes when I don't have a cough, could be due to what I do.

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Could be! I'm betting those were canister lights.

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Hello friend, I have a concern: I don't understand why there are so many abandoned buildings, aren't there people in need and interested in occupying these buildings and refurbishing them before the heartless ones burn them down? And if occupation is not possible, why doesn't the State end up demolishing and cleaning up the area…? Some policy that marks these properties as “museums”, I ask.

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This one amazingly was not arson but due to an electric fault (or so the reports says). It's very rural so the homeless tend to not squat at these places, but find 'homes' in more urban areas.

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That staircase is luxury indeed
This place must be owned by people who are very rich
Luxury luxury luxury!!!

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In the 1880's it was the landowners and the peasants. The rich list gap was enormous, a lot worse than today.

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Thank goodness you werent overcome by the opulence of the place and didn't spontaneously take anidiotexplores to wife!

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take anidiotexplores to wife!

I'm shocked! what are you saying..., he's too scrawny for me, give me them BBW's any-day 😆

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Hehe, aye a bit of cushioning goes a long way! 😀😀

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I am impressed by the imposing structure and its state of abandonment, the contrast between spaces of the mansion that seem almost immutable with the spaces affected by the fire, I think it is an excellent post, proof that no one escapes the ravages of time and oblivion.

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The mansion looks haunted in some areas. But how could it be left as such for the past 3 years. Really sorry figure. But you seem to have good patience in capturing each and everything.

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Until I see a ghost I don't believe in all that nonsense. I wish one would show up and introduce itself.

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Fascinating and sad at the same time. Guess the owners are hoping further neglect will end up with their getting permission to knock it down and build lots of 'luxury' flats.

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This one is on the middle of nowhere, so those flats would be as exclusive and as luxurious as what stood before. Good to see another UK peep on here, welcome!

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Such a nice looking building from the front, a shame they didn't restore it after the fire. Maybe they still plan to? It's not the worst place you have been climbing through, those pitchers look ready for the next wedding.

That gap sure looked a little dicey. I'm glad the floor didn't collapse when you jumped over those boards. Someone must have used them to cross, but I wouldn't want to be testing them!

One thing for sure, if Lord Daresbury is haunting the place he must be one pissed off ghost!

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I figure the Lord is biding his time, and will soon come out at night to feast on those paranormal crazies that visit places such as this all the time.

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Man, that big cabinet and dresser still look great, too bad they've just been left there! I'm sure that wasn't cheap to get.

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Bridal suite stuff, and brand new. Hope it's been moved out by now.

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I missed it if you mentioned in the writeup - how long ago (roughly) was it that you were here?

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Wow... That place has a very attractive type of architecture :/ it's a real pity that it's abandoned... But you've taken those kind of pictures which I love to see from your posts, especially of the burnt spaces of that building, there's something visually very interesting about those pictures, I can say that they look like art (at least to me in my crazy head)... Excellent post as always!... You even found a fridge with human kidneys in it!.... Wow!... hahaha :))

!discovery 40
!VSC
!PIZZA

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(Edited)

It's a type of 'Tudor' style, the black and white effect and can be found around the UK, more so in the Midlands and South.

Burnt places are easier to come by, mostly because nobody wants to go inside and photograph them. I find them decent and you can get some good snaps given favourable lighting.

Kidneys, yeah.., we find them often. eBay next, kidneys section 😀

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when I was in there, in the room with all the stored furniture, the smell of ammonia was very over powering, did you experience it? made my fucking eyes water

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Ah, I didn't know you had done this, is it on HIVE somewhere? There was no smell that I recall, but I guess the time between our explores could be big. I was late on the scene.

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yeah its up did it a couple of years ago

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Apart from the overgrown plants, the exterior actually looks like a decent normal house from afar. Once I look closer, then I start seeing the broken windows. The interior was a mix of good and bad. Some areas were full of garbage and clutter. But in some, they still look relatively nice. Some of the wooden furniture still look great, and would just need a few touchups. The glass pitchers are actually useable.

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It is mostly salvageable, but as always time will screw it over as well as the rain if they don't do something about it.

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I was actually curious why you didn't close the window yourself?

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What a sad sight. So much waste. That looked like some of the jollier vandal work I've seen though - so many hearts and smiley faces. The carpet reminiscent of blood and that chandelier that looks a bit like medusa's head...seems like a very romantic date for a couple of teenaged vandals ;)

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LOL, I am not sure who did the spray painting, it's hardly art. The true artists tend to pick old factories, to spread their work, but hardly anyone sees it.

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I've decided the artists are a girl named Emily and a boy named Oliver. Oliver was trying to impress Emily by taking her to the destroyed house, because he suspects that all-black wearing Emily probably enjoys trouble. Emily plays along and spray paints her signature hearts and smiley faces a few places. Oliver is oblivious to the fact that her markings have already been made in several rooms on previous occasions, because this is a regular haunt for Emily. Like a pretty spider sitting in her invisible web, she's caught a fly...

Alright it's almost midnight here and that's enough story time. You finish it in your mind - I'm sure you can work those broken chandeliers and the coffin in there somewhere.

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Another house I want to save lol. Those 'things' are can lights, that's the wiring on the top, they are mounted flush with ceilings and were probably meant to be overhead lighting over the island. I wonder if wiring lead to the fire?

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It is truly an adventure to read you. I would even like to participate in such explorations. Hey, who wrote Urbex on the wall? hahahaha... I said to myself: it was them! 🤣
Why did they tell you not to open the fridges? 🤔
There are still a lot of valuable things in there, it's a pity they get lost.
The last pictures of the surroundings are lovely and the mansion looks beautiful on the outside. You see, all that glitters is not gold.

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One building that must have been so impressive in it's hay-day, pity about fires, hooligans, pilfering that destroy buildings that should be preserved or used!

!BEER

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Wow that has been a beautiful venue!
But why areen't you supposed to open fridges when exploring these buildings? !HUG

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The smells inside can be overpowering and render you unconscious!

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I had to re-read my comment which you were answering at, I thought you were still talking about the drink !LOL

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Wow, what a beautiful old building! And that mahogany china cabinet is drop-dead gorgeous as well.

Those things you asked about on the worktable in the kitchen looked suspiciously like can lights to me, so I looked up the patent number printed on them. Sure enough, they're lights, though they're supposed to be a fire resistant type. Guess they didn't fare too well under real fire conditions, eh?

Did you by any chance get pics of the inside of any of the octagonal turret rooms? Those are my favorite things about Victorian architecture. swoon

Thank you for sharing!

!PIZZA

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Part of Tilstone escaped the fire, so it's a two picture story depending on which part are you are.

Did you by any chance get pics of the inside of any of the octagonal turret rooms?

I posted ALL the pics I have so I guess not. It was over a year ago, and the memories are fading a little.

Today's Tilstone could be a lot different, I have seen boarded up respectable houses decimated in just 2 years.

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Aye. Once the moisture incursion begins, it doesn't take long at all. Sad story, but, 'tis the way of the world. It's also one of the reasons the places I've visited in the deserts over here are so remarkably well-preserved. Never ceases to amaze me how long something can last (over 100 years in some cases, including wood and fabrics) when there's no precipitation and very dry air.

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