Pineheath House, near Harrogate, was once the autumn home of Sir Dhunjibhoy and Lady Bomanji – but now the 40-room mansion lies eerily abandoned and has been left to rot for almost 40 years
Once a beacon of grandeur, Pineheath House, a magnificent 40-room mansion, now stands desolate and neglected, untouched for nearly four decades.
The sprawling estate was once the holiday retreat of Indian shipping tycoon Sir Dhunjibhoy and Lady Bomanji. However, since their passing, it has remained frozen in time.
Now, the mansion is a haunting museum of bygone days, filled with artefacts from as far back as the 1920s. Beds remain made, pictures hang on the walls, and dolls rest on pillows, untouched for years.
Pineheath served as the autumn residence for Sir Dhunjibhoy and Lady Bomanji.
In recognition of his significant financial contributions to Britain’s victory over Germany in World War One, Sir Dhunjibhoy was knighted in 1922.
Throughout his life, he was committed to philanthropy, generously donating large sums of his wealth to worthy causes.
His charitable efforts were primarily directed towards supporting Great War veterans and the widows of those who did not return from battle.
The couple, who had strong ties with British aristocracy, including the Royal family, spent their summers at their Windsor home.
Each year, they would spend a third of the year in India before returning to Pineheath, located near Harrogate in Yorkshire, each autumn.
Lady Bomanji maintained this tradition until her death in 1986, nearly half a century after the passing of her husband, Sir Dhunjibhoy.
Since her passing, the estate has remained untouched, serving as a time capsule offering a glimpse into the lives of Britain’s most affluent families.
Several rooms in the 40-bedroom mansion retain their original 1920s wallpaper, along with fixtures and fittings. Drawers and side tables are strewn with newspapers nearly a century old, alongside invitations to some of society’s most exclusive parties up until the 1970s.
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Priceless chandeliers dangle from numerous ceilings, and many rooms house treasures from a bygone era, now shrouded in dust and rust. The residence also offers a rare insight into how the wealthy cohabited with their servants.
A rusty telephone system, long neglected and covered in dust, remains in the mansion, once used to summon staff to fulfil the owners’ demands. The kitchen stands frozen in time, complete with a gas heater poised above the sink for heating water and an antique coffee grinder affixed to one wall.
A drawer brimming with meticulously labelled keys provides access to suitcases, the tennis pavilion, and numerous rooms. Chairs in the morning room, stiff and creaky after decades of disuse, remain in position, while bedcovers still adorn the beds in the servants’ quarters, where a mirror hangs on the wall.
Portraits of the homeowners and the Queen hold pride of place on the walls, and one of the master bedrooms features a decidedly outdated ensuite shower room.
The walls are adorned with opulent, hand-painted wallpaper, while the initials of Sir Dhunjibhoy and Lady Bomanji are monogrammed into the ceilings.
Decades-old fine soap sits in dainty dishes in the bathrooms, whilst kitchen scales gather dust, untouched for years.
The ornate drinks cabinet is filled to the brim with sherry and cocktail glasses, and an opened packet of tobacco remains untouched.
Suitcases that once held luggage for trips long past now sit unused, gathering dust and cobwebs.
Pineheath House has become a magnet for urban explorers, who refer to it as “truly one of Harrogate’s oldest and most forgotten homes”.
One explorer shared: “The rooms are enormous. It is almost a complete shell now and it’s so sad that nothing is being done with this huge and potentially stunning mansion.
“As I started walking upstairs, I was convinced I could hear someone walking around. I must have stayed on the stairs not moving for at least five minutes trying to figure out what the noises were.
“Finally I advance further up the stairs and about three pigeons flew out from the roof.”
