When I was younger (and arguably less intelligent) my friends and I dabbled in a bit of ‘urban exploring’ to supplement our automotive thrills. We’d track down old abandon buildings in the post-industrial decay of metropolitan St. Louis and venture around the properties. What we never found, though, was a legitimate automotive graveyard, like this.
Sometimes we’d find ideal places to photograph our cars and strange buried treasures; other times we’d encounter hobo jungles and leave out of respect or acute terror. Meth heads take their beauty sleep very seriously. The car graveyard was always too elusive.
But what is this? It's a graveyard right in the backyard of the derelict Horncliffe Mansion in Lancashire, UK.
This dilapidated 10,000sq-ft. Victorian estate was constructed in 1869 on Bury Road in a small, rural town located 40 miles west of Leeds. It was apparently in use as recently as 2007.
Originally, Horncliffe was the private home of Mr. Henry Hoyle Hardman, a local businessman who was, evidently, an archetype of cash stacking. Sales records aren't available but, considering that it's a freakin' mansion, subsequent residents were likely men of similar financial means. And what does every monocle-wearing, cane-swinging, British shot-caller need? The burled wood and V12 roar of a Jaguar…scores of them, in this case.
Horncliffe Mansion has more dead pussy in its backyard than a pet cemetery.
There are a few other classic Brit cars stranded there, too, including Minis and Triumphs. It’s unclear whether Horncliffe's last owner left the cars to rot, or if they were in the process of being restored. Either way, with a dozen or so Jags (which originally retailed for the modern equivalent of $75,000 to $100,000 each) the owner was definitely some sort of automotive eccentric, if not an outright hoarder.
Horncliffe Mansion is listed for the low, low price of £800,000 (about $1.2 million); its real estate agent failed to return a request for further info on the salvage yard outside.
Photo Credits: Scott Chadwick, UK
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