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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Susie Beever

Inside abandoned home of WWII veteran hoarder with 'graveyard' of old cars and dirty magazines

This abandoned home of a WWII veteran has become a living time capsule - as pictures show inside what's been described as a 'graveyard' of old cars.

Urban explorers have provided a glimpse inside the frozen-in-time property which was once home to a former soldier and his wife who salvaged old vehicles.

Old trucks have been reclaimed by nature, with snaps showing them ensconced between brambles and weeds.

The eerie property looks as though someone could walk in at any moment with a trilby hat balanced on a banister, despite having been abandoned for years.

In some shots, the former owner appears to have left behind their secret stash with porn magazines dated from the 1980s found strewn around the home.

Urban explorer Daniel Sims discovered the house in West Sussex, saying he spent two hours wandering the property suspended in time.

Abandoned vehicles have been choked by weeds (mediadrumimages/BeardedReality)

“I only knew of this place having the Bedford trucks and some vehicles, so I was very happy and surprised that the place had everything left behind,” he said.

“I know very little of the previous owner. At some point, a couple resided there and they must have had a massive dealing with trucks so there are a good thirty plus stored there, mainly Bedfords.

“The place itself is very derelict, but has a lifetime of hoarding inside various items. It also seems the male owner served in World War II and travelled quite a bit.

“The site itself was wide open and seemed to have been left this way for quite some time, left and forgotten.

The scrap yard has become an abandoned graveyard for cars and trucks (mediadrumimages/BeardedReality)

“Even though there is a neighbouring house nearby we were very chilled out at this place as the space itself and property is quite hidden from prying eyes so you get to relax and have time to look at everything and decide what you would like to take photos of and focus on.

“Outside were some amazing Bedford Trucks left behind as well as various cars and other vans left decaying with a few in not-so-bad condition with a garage for repairing and sorting out various vehicles; however the main treasures were hidden within the house.”

Daniel said the house has been abandoned for a significant amount of time based on the “years of constant build-up” on the hoarded items inside.

A Charles and Diana commemorative wedding mug may provide a clue as to the last time someone put the kettle on in the property (mediadrumimages/BeardedReality)

“I found some original signed pieces of lovely art hidden away and as you walked around saw various coats and suit jackets hung up,” he said.

“As you enter the living room you see that it is hard to navigate around it but I spotted some photos of the previous owners which were nice to see and connect with.

“The second living area had various mobility equipment suggesting it was an older person that owned the property probably in the late 70s - 90s and I saw various china and trinkets stored in the back of the room.

“Upstairs we found a bit of hidden vintage porn going back to the late 80s maybe early 90s and the bedroom was filled with personal items.

“What I found fascinating was the old photo albums and pictures from various places the guy served and a very special scrapbook filled with some political cartoons and funny porn scraps.

A vintage porn magazine discovered inside the property (mediadrumimages/BeardedReality)

“The inside itself was so filled and looked partly ransacked; however, it was mainly just filled with so much stuff that it was difficult to get around.

“The house itself is in parts of disrepair and interestingly it looks like an extension was being built, however, the owner must have passed as it was never finished.

“The outside of the property is amazingly filled with so many vehicles collected over a lifetime and even a garage with cars being worked on so the previous owner definitely had a passion for cars and mechanics.

“There were also bits of farming equipment and a horse truck so maybe it was a partly working horse farm as well for breeding or racing perhaps.

The rear exterior of the property (mediadrumimages/BeardedReality)

“With shots like this firstly I love the natural decay and rust that surrounds the place and also love capturing what I feel is like a moment and place lost in time.

“The place itself seems to have been left between 10-15 years by some of the things that have been left behind but could be longer with loads of items and things dating as old as the early 1900s.

“Usually, I am very pleased and very critical of myself as I am wanting to capture the place and everything that is there and convey a sense of dereliction, loss, and abandonment.

“Other people love my work and are very supportive. There will always be people that do not understand what I do or what I am trying to achieve and I remind them I am just documenting breaking no laws and sharing what I see and find through my work.”

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