Meet Red Dress Manor, one of the most mysterious houses in Britain.
The derelict dairy farm was built in 1725 but the last owner of the property, Ellen Jones, died in the 1970s and nobody has lived there since.
Ellen left her red dress hanging in her wardrobe, hence the nickname for the house. Its real name is Calcott Hall.
The house is situated in the village of Llanymynech (Welsh for "Church of the Monks") which, quite literally, straddles the Welsh-English (and the Powys-Shropshire) border - in fact, the border runs downs the middle of the village's main street with the western half of the village in Wales and the eastern half in England.
Entering red dress manor is like entering a timewarp. It is filled to the brim with old personal items and love letters.
Dust-covered glass bottles of 19th century cleaning products such as turpentine and black lacquer look like works of art in the sunshine gleaming through the cracked windows.
Floral 1950s wallpaper tumbling down the walls reveal the heavy stone that was used to build the house in 1725.
Now, after years of neglect, nature has moved in. Branches and leaves hang through the ceilings and soil is spilling out of the fire place on to a 1960s television.
The house that's frozen in time: Eerie images inside abandoned 'Red Dress Manor' which still has clothes in the wardrobes, photographs on the walls and love letters strewn across the floors
The derelict dairy farm in Llanymynech, mid-Wales built in 1725 looks like a real-life fairytale scene
The owner, identified as Ellen Jones, died in the 1970s, leaving her red dress hanging in an empty wardrobe
Officially called Calcott Hall, the grade II listed in 1953 building is dubbed 'red dress manor' by locals
Clothes, letters, newspapers and photographs have been left untouched strewn across the floors
By Mia De Graaf
25 October 2013
Daily Mail
Daily Mail
With love letters strewn across the floor, a gown hung in the bedroom, and black-and-white photos under a film of cobwebs, it looks like a scene from a fairytale.
But this derelict dairy farm standing in the depths of the Welsh countryside is a real-life mystery.
Dubbed the 'Red Dress Manor', it is filled to the brim with personal belongings - including a floor-length red satin dress and love letters.
But there has been no sign of life within these walls for 40 years.
Listed: According to documents found by photographer Dan Circa, the house in Llanymynech, on the Welsh-English border, is called Calcott Hall and was Grade II* listed in 1953
Crumpled and beautiful: The red dress pictured in a photo on the wall was found hanging in an empty wardrobe, while other clothes clutter the floor
Namesake: The woman in the red dress that has given this manor its nickname. The picture shows Ellen Jones, who appears in other images around the house
Dust: The years of dereliction are betrayed by the living room which has a thick layer of dust on the floor. Nobody knows why newspapers and notes are left scattered
The four-bedroom house, officially called Calcott Hall, in Llanymynech, Powys, was grade II* listed in 1953 - more than two centuries after it was first built as a dairy farm.
But according to census records, the owner, Ellen Jones, died in the early 1970s and her home became a forgotten relic within its leafy surroundings.
However, her belongings have stayed exactly as she left them.
Now, a series of haunting images by photographer Dan Circa has unveiled the mysterious manor, showing how generations made it their home over centuries.
Magical: The eerie dairy farm, dubbed 'Red Dress Manor', has been left to crumble away for decades. It is filled with letters and pictures that seem to be unspoiled
Vintage: A rusted 1970s Morris stands in the garage by the main house. It is the kind of car that would fetch thousands at an auction today
Personal: Letters and photographs left behind in the manor show a woman named Ellen Jones lived there. Dust has gathered but the shots are clear and mystical
Ancient: The building maintains its original architecture from 1725 with heavy wood doors, stone floors, and high ceilings. Few people have visited the site since the 70s
Crumbling: Plants tumbling through ceilings, torn curtains and crumbling walls only serve to enhance the building's ethereal and timeless beauty
Life: Handbags, ribbons and clothing strewn about the house give little glimpses into the mysterious world of women that lived here years ago
Dust-covered glass bottles of 19th century cleaning products such as turpentine and black lacquer look like works of art in the sunshine gleaming through the cracked windows.
Floral 1950s wallpaper tumbling down the walls reveal the heavy stone that was used to build the house in 1725.
Now, after years of neglect, nature has moved in. Branches and leaves hang through the ceilings and soil is spilling out of the fire place on to a 1960s television.
Mr Circa, 28, from Manchester said: 'I heard stories of the manor and so wanted to investigate for myself.
'The picture of a lady in a red dress and the actual red dress still being there was particularly intriguing. I wanted to see what else was inside.
'I felt like I was in someone’s home uninvited, I expected the owner to walk round every corner I saw.
Bygone era: Delicate bottles of turpentine, black lacquer, and healing oil were the cleaning products of yesteryear. They are a far cry from today's plastic
Decades: A box of Daz alongside older cleaning products, 1950s curtains, and an 18th century wooden window frame shows how this manor was home to generations
Decorative and mysterious: Floral curtains and mis-matched floral wallpaper frame the leafy Welsh countryside through broken glass, as a lone shoe sits on the sill
'When I climbed the stairs to enter the main bedroom, I opened the door and to the right there was a photo of the lady in the garment on her dressing table with all her makeup and other personal items on it.
'I then turned to the left and saw an open wardrobe with that red dress hung up, it was a very eerie feeling as if someone was there.
'I thought it was her at first glance.'
Details: The beautiful and dolled-up Ellen Jones also passed her county examinations at the Shropshire Congretional Union, according to framed certificates
Mr Circa explained his project as an exploration of 'beauty in decay': 'The lady in the red dress has been identified by census records and personal letters as Ellen Jones.
'I am documenting things that someone once cared about.
'People are amazed to see the pictures, especially when they see it's a place with personal belongings in.'
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