Inside home in Yorkshire hills frozen in time since death of widow

29 January 2024 , 11:09

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The two-storied farmhouse has been abandoned since the 70s (Image: Mediadrumimages/Macorlee Farnaby)

A home in the Yorkshire hills has been frozen in time since the mysterious death of a widowed homeowner, pictures have shown.

The two-storied farmhouse has been abandoned since the 70s when Alice, the woman who lived there, died following the death of her husband. Pictures show mountains of books in the tidy and orderly property, as well as diaries dating back to the 70s. British urban explorer Macorlee Farnaby, 28, visited the house and saw that the dining table was set with a cloth and placemats as if waiting for dinner to be served. He said it was a "perfect time capsule" with numerous items in "immaculate condition."

He suspected Alice was a voracious reader with rows and rows of hardcover and paperback books on the shelves. There was a wide range of genres from science fiction with a copy of the book 'Dune' by Frank Herbert to romance with Nancy Mitford's 'Love in a Cold Climate' and mysteries. Macorlee said jackets were hung neatly in the cupboard as if ready to be taken out for a chilly morning walk. There was also glass cutlery, reading glasses, a piano, and a typewriter all in immaculate condition. The explorer said the couple had no one to pass the house to, so it had been left "forgotten almost in the middle of nowhere."

A dressing table filled with items pictured in the house (Mediadrumimages/Macorlee Farnaby)

Bookshelves filled with books in the house (Mediadrumimages/Macorlee Farnaby)

Macorlee continued: "I was blown away when I visited this house. Before entering this place, I talked to a few locals about it, and they told me that Alice was beloved and cherished by people when she was alive. I had no idea about this house initially. I saw this on a map one day and saw that a structure not too far from where I was looked overgrown with trees and shrubs, and I decided to explore. Alice and her husband had no one to pass this house to, so it was left forgotten in the middle of almost nowhere."

He continued: "It was a long hike up to the property with no paved road, houses or life around it. It was surrounded only by masses of fields and landscape. Along with mounds of books, I also found letters and diaries dating back to the 70s. A decayed piano, typewriters, and so much more. It was like a perfect time capsule. Reading glasses, pill boxes, spirit bottles, clothes, towels, and bedding, it all almost seemed like a painting. It felt sad walking around this property because I could see her whole life just sitting there and old memories almost decaying. This was a bitter-sweet visit that I probably will not forget for a long time."

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