Once among the most revered residences of their day, these photographs reveal palatial properties around the world as shadows of their former selves. Abandoned and left to languish, their grand hallways are captured standing eerily silent, with Mother Nature fast reclaiming their exquisite architecture. Click or scroll to take a tour of these time-worn treasures and uncover the fascinating tales hidden within their walls...

Documented by urbex photographer Bryan Sansivero, Dunnington Mansion sits alone in the middle of a golf course near Farmville, Virginia. Situated on a plot of unkempt land within the swish Manor Resort Golf Club, the mysterious mansion's exterior isn't in bad shape with its turret and brickwork more or less intact. 

The abandoned mansion's history began in the 1700s when land-owner Richard Woodson built a modest four-bedroom house on the land. He then passed the estate to his daughter Agnes, who built a brick house there in the late 18th century. Following her death in the 1820s, the property passed to her daughter Frances and her husband James Wood. The duo expanded the property and kept it in the family until 1860, when it was snapped up by tobacco tycoon Walter Grey Dunnington, who transformed the building into the mansion we see today. 

Once the scene of grand society gatherings, today the home has been left to rack and ruin. Following the death of India Dunnington, the wife of Walter Dunnington, in 1960, it's uncertain who inherited the home. In 1999 it was sold to the Community Development Authority, who had big plans to turn it into a hotel and spa. However the funding dried up and in October 2020 the house went up for auction, though it's not known if a buyer stepped in to rescue the forlorn property.

With endless expansive spaces inside and beautiful spacious porches outside, the mansion's stunning architecture is crying out to be restored and preserved for future generations to admire. Here's hoping this exquisite estate will be brought back from the brink!

Nestled on the rural outskirts of Harrodsburg, Kentucky, this captivating manor may be a little worse for wear but its grand façade still makes for an impressive sight. Built in the mid-1890s, the regal estate, named Ashfeld Manor, was purportedly commissioned by Colonel Daniel Lawson Moore for his wife, Minnie, following their marriage in 1891.

Constructed from limestone and brick, no detail was overlooked when it came to designing the exquisite Romanesque Revival house. An entrance worthy of royalty, three vast stone arches resting on polished granite pillars frame the veranda, while dusty checkerboard tiling leads the way to the double front doors. The most impressive feature, however, has to be the intricate coffered ceiling, which seems to have weathered the years remarkably well.

Sadly, the same can't be said of the interior. Stepping through the front door, the time-worn entrance hall, captured by the Bluegrass Team, is a mess of crumbling plaster, peeling wallpaper and precarious-looking brickwork. However, amongst the debris, architectural gems can still be glimpsed – this arched wood-panelled vanity would've offered an elegant first impression to the home's well-to-do guests back in the late 19th century. 

Surrounded by three acres of rolling fields and woodland, Ashfeld Manor was sold at a foreclosure auction back in January 2020 for the bargain sum of $329,000 (£238k). A spectacular relic of bygone days, it's not clear why the mansion was abandoned – here's hoping the new owners give this remarkable American estate the new lease of life it deserves. 

Dating back to 1913, it's not hard to imagine this grand brick mansion as the bustling centre of domestic life a century ago. Fast forward over a hundred years and things have certainly taken a turn for the worse for the once-palatial property, located in the quaint North Carolina town of Aberdeen. Vacated for some years, the porch roof is buckling, while mould laces the ornate cornicing and pediment. 

Extending a vast 6,200 square feet, this was no doubt a dream home back in the mansion's 20th-century heyday. The elegant parlours and dining rooms on the ground floor are now faded and tired, with plaster flaking away, leaving the building's wooden framework exposed. Still, the property's grand proportions are evident, from the airy double-height ceilings to the heritage sash windows.

Upstairs, there are six large bedrooms in addition to the servant's quarters and a vast attic. Historic furnishings that hint at the previous owner's wealth still pepper the rooms – in this bedroom, a wooden bed frame, complete with a towering, carved headboard and matching dresser, sits centre stage.

Flanked by windows on three sides, this light-filled sunroom would've been a beautiful space for entertaining – the who's who of Aberdeen's high society would've perhaps gathered here to take tea or enjoy an elegant evening soirée. Overlooking the home's one-acre grounds, it now looks forlorn, with white pelmets greyed by dust and plaster falling away from the walls. We wonder what caused the former residents to up sticks and leave so much of their furniture behind?

Found in an idyllic corner of Italy's mountainous South Tyrol region, this huge abandoned castle, with its grand turrets and scalloped brickwork, is nothing short of spectacular. But the majestic property isn't quite as old as it seems! Purportedly modelled after a 12th-century medieval castle, the structure is said to have been built in the late 19th century following a family quarrel.

Legend has it that the baron who was supposed to inherit the original medieval castle was disputed as the rightful heir. Without the family estate, his wife reportedly threatened to leave the baron, so he was said to have built a replica of the palatial property to appease her. Once the subject of scandal, the structure has since fallen to wrack and ruin, with foliage invading the courtyards and overrunning the ornate arched walkways.

While dusty and littered with debris, the interior is completely enchanting. In this captivating room, colourful frescoed walls catch the light, framing a vast hooded fireplace blackened by coal. Overhead, a magnificent coffered ceiling comprises intricately painted panels outlined in gold gilding – it doesn't get much grander than this!

In one of the turrets, the vaulted dome is encircled with a red floral frieze, while windows inset into the cupola allow light to pour down into the interior below. However, it's clear that time has left its mark here too – crumbling plaster has fragmented the pattern after years of neglect.

Captured by Leland Kent of Abandoned Southeast, this grand 19th-century antebellum house was abandoned following a fire in 1969. Nestled in Milledgeville, Georgia, the rundown southern belle still has plenty of kerb appeal, from the double-height columned pediment to the impressive stone steps that lead up to the entrance.

Built for Colonel Samuel Rockwell, no expense was spared in its design, which comprises hundreds of pieces of hand-cut timber. Over the years, the property changed hands numerous times and was even used as a summer retreat by Georgia Governor Herschel Vespasian Johnson in the 1850s – we can just imagine this grand entrance hall welcoming Milledgeville's upper echelons to the property's many soirées.

While signs of wear and tear were evident by the mid-1900s, the estate stood relatively unscathed until one fateful day in August 1969. Workmen were busy removing paint from the walls of one of the upstairs rooms with a blow torch when the wooden structure unsurprisingly caught light. Though the damage was made good, the room was exposed to the elements and left to languish, along with the rest of the structure.

Now in the hands of a conservation team, the former abandoned American home has been restored to its former glory and is open to visitors. While the structure was in need of serious attention, there's a whole host of original features still intact, including the spectacular wrought-iron fence that encircles that property. Back when Rockwell commissioned the design, it's said to have cost the same amount as the house!

This abandoned billionaire's mansion was once the home of businessman Genshiro Kawamoto. Following his arrest for tax evasion in 2013, the decadent dwelling was deserted and after years of neglect, time has taken its toll on the glitzy interior. Filmed by urban explorer Steve Ronin, the ornate staircase, once lined in luxurious red carpet, is now littered with debris and discarded rubbish.

Among the discoveries made by Ronin was Kawamoto's extensive art collection. Marble and stone statues adorn the dusty living areas, while an array of extravagant gold chandeliers hang redundantly overhead. Once home to elaborate dinner parties, the luxurious dining space now lies lifeless.

One thing that hasn't weathered with time is the view. Perched on a bluff overlooking the water, swathes of windows frame stunning panoramas of the coast below. Inside, a tattered sofa and worn coffee table offer sparse decoration, along with a few eerie statues dotted around the dirty checkerboard floor.

Once the mansion's most luxurious room, the bedroom is awash with faded grandeur, from the marble-clad walls to the bare mattress elevated on a red-carpeted platform. Chandeliers lie discarded on the steps, along with shoes and piles of clothing. We wonder what the future holds for this sorry space...

If you're a fan of Ian Fleming and John le Carré, this next derelict diamond is sure to pique your interest. Another find by Leland Kent of Abandoned Southeast, the hacienda-style home, known as the Outlaw House, is a treasure trove of clandestine secrets. Found in rural Alabama, the property was once owned by the enigmatic G. C. Outlaw, identified in 1918 archive records as an FBI agent – documents show that he even investigated threats made by the infamous Ku Klux Klan.

Outlaw, who went on to found a cafeteria empire after leaving the bureau, is rumoured to have acquired the house in a poker game. Offering a tranquil escape from nearby Mobile, it stayed in the Outlaw family until it was deserted in 1985, when G. C's son, Arthur, left for the city. Fallen into despair, the dazzling arched windows are now exposed to the elements and wooden boards and plaster litter the floor.

Back in its heyday, the home was considered especially innovative, being the first in the area to have electricity and a telephone, powered by the nearby dam. Despite the peeling ceiling and scattered debris, it's not hard to imagine the property restored to its former grandeur, with that stunning checkerboard floor shining once more and the handsome wood panelling restored.

While the striking property sadly languishes, rumours still swirl about the mysterious G. C. Outlaw – according to one local legend, there was once said to be a secret underground tunnel connecting the house with the dwelling across the road. Whether it still exists is anyone's guess, but one thing's for sure, with nature reclaiming the crumbling exterior, time is fast running out for this enigmatic home.

Shrouded in dense undergrowth, Villa Minetta is an architectural gem hidden in Novi Ligure in Italy's Piedmont region. The richly ornamented façade is a work of art, featuring intricate leaded windows, wrought-iron Juliet balconies and exquisite stonework. A jewel of the region, it's unclear when the property was originally constructed, but the design details we see today date back to the 19th and 20th centuries.

Inside, spectacular domed ceilings abound, decorated with stunning hand-painted frescoes. While plaster has crumbled away in places, the richly coloured design has miraculously survived years of neglect. The property's most notable resident was one Edilio Raggio, a famous 19th-century entrepreneur in the region who made his fortune in the steel and coal industries.

Responsible for funding the district's first hospital, Raggio was one of the most influential figures in Novi Ligure and his home was said to have been at the heart of the city's high society. Now a derelict shell, the crumbling interior would've once hosted Piedmont's well-to-do, with many a soirée no doubt spilling out into this vestibule.

Surrounded by six acres of land, the abandoned European palace has witnessed its fair share of turmoil over the years. When the Raggio family eventually left the villa in 1930 and the First World War descended, the villa was purportedly commandeered as the base for the Army Liguria, a branch of Mussolini's National Republican Army. Following the war, the grand dwelling is said to have passed through numerous hands before being left vacant sometime in the late 20th century.

Located in north London, affluent Bishops Avenue is home to some of the priciest rows of property in the capital, however, much of the real estate here lies eerily deserted. Captured by urban explorers Beyond The Point, this forlorn mansion is void of life, encircled by overgrown grass and insidious weeds.

Left to languish, many of the homes on Billionaires' Row are reportedly owned by foreign investors who leave the properties uninhabited, while around 20 of the mansions are visibly derelict. Once a grand vestibule with a sweeping double staircase, neglect has reduced this hallway to damp-ridden walls and crumbling ceilings, leaving the interior exposed to the elements.

Not all of the spaces are rundown however, with many of the abandoned interiors miraculously frozen in time. This dated conservatory is a veritable time warp, with the old-fashioned hi-fi and boxy cord telephone on the console table offering a nostalgic reminder of yesteryear. Between the two armchairs, a stack of well-thumbed magazines sits discarded on the floor, anticipating the homeowners' return.  

Inside the pool house, wires dangle precariously from the ceiling and debris and grime line the floor of the empty swimming pool. From London's plushest postcode to an abandoned street of decaying decadence, Billionaires' Row is now a far cry from its glamorous glory days.

With an entrance flanked by vast stone tikis, this extravagant Polynesian-inspired home, photographed by Leland Kent in 2017, makes quite the first impression. Perched on a hill in Chattanooga, Tennessee, the opulent house was built in 1972, however, it's seen a drastic change in its fortunes in recent years. Filled with debris and discarded furniture, this abandoned mansion hides a very dark secret...

Designed with entertaining in mind, the extravagant house, which encompasses three bedrooms and four bathrooms, was the brainchild of strip club owner and entrepreneur Billy Hull. Inside, one of the living spaces features a marble-topped bar and faux stone cladding that has seen better days, while the worn red carpet is littered with broken glass and discarded mementos.

However, the 5,600-square-foot property's pièce de résistance has to be the vast tipi-shaped pool room at the heart of the house. While it's been left to wrack and ruin, the double-height space is still showstopping – we can just imagine crowds of well-dressed guests milling around the poolside, piña coladas in hand. The large swimming pool featuring the Playboy logo is still intact, but in recent years it's become a dumping ground for broken furniture and a playground for vandals.

Behind the glitz and glamour of the home's heyday lies an altogether more sinister tale. The unusual property was abandoned only a year after it was completed, following the murder of a certain Larry Parker, the rumoured lover of Billy Hull's wife, Gloria. Hull was arrested and sentenced to 20 years for hiring a contract killer to take out Parker and the property subsequently fell into disrepair, before it was seized by the city in 2017 and reduced to rubble.

With its turrets and regal pediments, this forgotten castle in the wilds of Poland's Lower Silesia region appears to date back to around the 18th century. Known as Diver's Palace, little is known about the mysterious manor and how it fell into such a derelict state, but according to locals, the property has been in private hands since the early 2000s.

Inside, the interior is in a poor state of repair, with brickwork crumbling and rooms left exposed to the elements, while almost all of the spaces have been ransacked by uninvited guests over the years. This former living room is a sparse shell, though architectural features such as the bay window and double-height ceilings hint at the home's regal past.

Fitted out with retro cabinetry, it's clear that the kitchen hasn't been used in decades, with cupboards searched and stripped of anything of value. The rundown residence is located on a farm complex and documents in German and Polish were found scattered around the property, suggesting it served a commercial use at some point in the past.

In one of the bathrooms, a claw-foot bathtub, once the height of luxury, sits rusted and overturned on the floor. Collapsed ceilings and disintegrating damp walls mean the house is now structurally unsound and losing the fight with Mother Nature. Steeped in mystery, we wonder why the palace was so hastily deserted. If only walls could talk...

Found on England's southwest coast, this seven-bedroom former parsonage is the sort of place where we'd expect to find a well-to-do vicar in a Jane Austen novel. Built around 1820, Brackenside Manor sits in five acres of land among overgrown walled gardens and dilapidated stables near the village of Bucks Mills in Devon.

Unlike some of the more rundown abandoned stately homes in our round-up, many original features have survived, including fireplaces, period tiling, an original servants’ bell call system and the grand central staircase.

Upstairs, one of the spacious bedrooms is decked out in whimsical pink hues, though damp is creeping in from behind the wallpaper. The feature fireplace sits pride of place in the centre of the room, blackened by decades of use. The wooden floorboards are dusty and worn, though with a little elbow grease they could easily be brought back to life.

In the kitchen, an original range sits in the hearth, though it hasn't been lit in some time. Now surrounded by a holiday park, the house was under threat of demolition to make way for new holiday chalets. It has since been awarded Grade II listing, which means it's safe from the wrecking ball, though it would take a lot of work (and money) to restore it to its former glory.

Encompassing a vast 55 acres of land, the historic estate of Arlington in Natchez, Mississippi is thought to have been constructed in the early 19th century. The Federal-style property, captured recently by Leland Kent, was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 and declared a National Historic Landmark the following year.

It's thought that the palatial property was built by John Hampton White for his wife, Janet Surget White. Janet was the daughter of Pierre Surget, a French immigrant and head of one of Natchez's most prominent families. While the mansion is now a derelict shell, its hallowed halls were once the scene of many a society soirée. With a little creative thinking, we can just imagine this grand space decked out in gilded finery as well-dressed guests circulate from room to room.

Tragedy befell the landmark building in 2002, when a fire ripped through the structure, destroying the roof and the second floor. Exposed to the elements and decimated by the blaze, the house was named the second-most endangered historic property in the state by the Mississippi Heritage Trust in 2009.

The rambling grounds are equally as rundown, with overgrown weeds surrounding the estate and debris from the building scattered across the acreage. Following the fire, the City of Natchez filed a lawsuit against the property's absentee owner as a last-ditch attempt to save the crumbling building. Whether their plight will be successful remains to be seen...

Found in Atlanta, Georgia, this grand structure was once the home of Coca-Cola heir Asa Griggs Candler Jr., whose father patented the iconic brand in 1893. Candler Jr. and his siblings sold their shares in the company in 1919 and he went on to build regal Briarcliff Mansion in the 1920s. Now boarded up and languishing, it's hard to envisage the opulent party pad that he created, which even reportedly held a zoo.

Candler Jr. is said to have made a number of extensions to the home over the years, adding a 1,700-square-foot music room, complete with a cathedral-sized organ. In its heyday, the mansion encompassed over 40 rooms, two pools and a ballroom – a far cry from the dusty, decrepit property that stands today.

When Briarcliff sold in 1948, it became a treatment centre and mental health clinic, before Emory University snapped up the structure in 1998. These days, the rooms have been stripped bare and the walls marked by the numerous trespassers who've passed through over the years.

Outside, an ornate greenhouse still stands amongst the once elegantly landscaped gardens. Plans to bring the creepy abandoned mansion back to life were on the horizon for a time, with a developer intending to restore the home and transform it into a luxury hotel. However, the project was deemed too costly and the venture was abandoned, leaving the fate of Briarcliff now hanging in the balance.

With its ornate stone pediments and wrought-iron balconies, this elegant château in the department of Haut-Rhin in eastern France is a spectacular sight. Despite the overgrown garden and shattered windows, Château Burrus, also known as Château Lumiere, is still undeniably enchanting, though its grand façade hides a dark secret. Built for tobacco tycoon Jules Burrus in 1900, the house reportedly passed to his son, Marcel, who owned it up until the First World War.

The magnificent château was then reportedly taken over by the German army in retaliation for Marcel Burrus's refusal to supply their troops with free cigarettes. Burrus consequently fled Alsace, returning to the family estate after the war, though the property was requisitioned once more in the Second World War when it became an SS training centre. Few signs of its dark past now remain – framed by red marble columns, this exquisite bay window is palatial, while the corniced ceiling is still intact. 

Upstairs, the gallery walkway is encircled by intricate wrought-iron balustrades, framing the entrance vestibule below which still contains a long, faded red carpet to welcome in guests. While signs of wear and tear are apparent, the grand, ethereal space is just as imposing today as it was all those decades ago. 

In the late 20th century, the château was snapped up by a religious order and then sold on and left deserted in the early 1990s. Throughout the forlorn house, a plethora of period features are crying out for restoration – just look at that stunning checkerboard floor and the Regency-style double sink. Little is known about the fate of this architectural gem, though it would be a shame to see the exquisite estate crumble.

Standing proud above an old vineyard, Schloss Vitzenburg is a neo-Renaissance castle steeped in centuries of history. Home to an array of knights and noble families over the years, the fairytale estate is thought to have been founded over 1,000 years ago and once accommodated a nunnery and monastery. While the exterior still appears grand and imposing, the vacant interior is showing signs of neglect.

Situated in the state of Saxony-Anhalt in Germany, the property features grand double-height ceilings and regal wood panelling, but signs of damp are visible across the corniced ceiling and the floorboards are worn and dusty from years of abandonment. Once a dream castle home, a lone piano sits in the middle of this sparse drawing room, though the intricate stone fireplace and arched recess hint at its former grandeur.

On the landing upstairs, incredible archways adorned with faded tartan panelling frame the double staircase to stunning effect. Around the early 20th century, the castle fell into the hands of the von Münchhausen family, where it remained until the mid-1900s when the structure was purportedly converted into a school and training centre, before being used as an adolescent psychiatric hospital. 

In 2016, following a failed development attempt, the von Münchhausen family bought back the property they had once called home, with a view to restoring it to its former glory. While the project's progress is unknown, we're relieved that this beautiful wood-panelled living space won't be left to languish.

With its towering turrets and whimsical shutters, Château des Trois-Poetes, or the Château of the Three Poets, looks like it's been plucked from the pages of a Brothers Grimm tale. Built in 1600, the romantic fairytale castle is found nestled in dense undergrowth in the village of Castétis in southwestern France.

Named after three local poets, Alfred de Vigny, Alphonse de Lamartine and Francis Jammes, the grand dwelling was said to be the seat of the noble Nays-Candau family until the mid-20th century, before being converted into a retirement home in 1988. Closed for good in 2000, time has since taken a toll on the historic home, with the interiors reduced to ruin and exposed to the elements.

Now in a poor state of repair, crumbling plaster litters the floor, while mould-ridden furnishings sit stranded in the eerily silent rooms. Beyond the boxy, old-fashioned television and dated décor in this living space, there's an array of heritage features, from columned alcoves to original windows, now in danger of being lost forever.

The extent of the damage becomes especially apparent in this vestibule – a crumbling column has left pipework exposed and broken French doors have paved the way for tendrils of insidious trailing greenery. While the local authority is said to have plans to restore the château, the structure currently lies decrepit and dormant. We only hope the future holds a change of fortune for this remarkable residence.

This 20-room mansion stands proudly in Loudoun County, Virginia on what was once one of the busiest trading routes between America’s northern and southern states. Known as the Selma Mansion, the site’s history dates back to the 1700s, though the current house was built in the late 1800s after most of the original building burned down. 

Unoccupied from the early 2000s until recently, the mansion was gradually falling into a state of disrepair. Remarkably though, this photo shows that plenty of the property's period features remained intact during this period of neglect, including the fireplace, balustrades and columns in the capacious neo-classical entrance hall.

In its heyday, Selma was famous for its southern hospitality and its halls were once filled with music, dancing and soirées attended by the upper echelons of society. Upstairs on the landing, the bright floral wallpaper would've been the height of home décor way back when!

From crumbling walls to encroaching damp, the house, pictured here a few years ago, was in a sorry state. However, in 2016, the property's luck took a turn for the better. The forlorn mansion was snapped up by new owners, who have now fully restored the property. 

When it comes to first impressions, this enchanting estate scoops the top spot in our roundup. With its grand Mediterranean Revival architecture and rose stucco façade, there's more than an air of fairytale about Howey Mansion, even in the sorry state it's captured in here. Located in the Florida community of Howey-in-the-Hills, the property was constructed in 1927 by William J. Howey, the founder of the surrounding town, as his main residence.

Photographed by Bullet of Abandoned Florida, the mansion's entrance is nothing short of magnificent. The front door is encircled by breathtaking stained glass, while the walls of the foyer are made from pre-cast plaster poured onsite by an Austrian artisan. The creative mind behind the spectacular design was Katharine Cotheal Budd, a pioneering architect from New York City. 

Encompassing 7,200 square feet along with 15 acres of sprawling grounds, the property was certainly a showpiece for the Howeys. The grand hall is perhaps one of the most imposing spaces, with its vast, double-height hearth, arched windows and beamed ceiling. From the towering red curtains to the mottled brown walls, it feels like a scene straight out of a Gothic novel.

In other rooms, the décor jumps forward in time – peach walls, pelmets, thick-pile carpet and a discarded rattan headboard transport us into the 1970s in this vacant pastel bedroom. Until 2017, the mansion had stood abandoned for some time, but thankfully it's since been snapped up and restored. 

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