Southend Georgian guest house explored by Martin Halliday

After embarking on a failed mission to try and find an underground tunnel below the Hamilton’s Boutique Guest House, Martin Halliday stumbled upon the closed Terrace Guest House, on Royal Terrace, and managed to gain access.

Inside, Martin was “walking back through time” as he explored the guest house which once served as a stylish and upmarket retreat for well-off visitors to Southend.

Preserved- Martin finds an old piano (Image: Martin Halliday)

Pictures show the interior of the building incredibly well-kept and preserved, almost entirely undisturbed by nature as the paint and interior furnishings have stood the test of time.

Martin said said: “I slowly made my way around inside the superbly historic building, its unique architecture, spacious rooms and wild garden was surreal. It was like walking back through time.

“It had a ghostly and royal presence and was dusted in cobwebs.

“It was a wonderful opportunity that few others had managed to document, and nature was trying its best to reclaim this forgotten place trapped in time.”

Preserved - The building interior (Image: Martin Halliday)

Martin, from Shoebury, explores old and empty buildings, as well as historical sites of interest, in south Essex, for his channel DE-eVOLVED.

He recently uncovered the hidden “smugglers tunnel” once used as a hive of illegal activity under a property in Southend’s Royal Terrace, near the Hamilton House he was investigating when he found the Terrace Guest House.

On the discovery of the guest house, he said: “I was in Southend researching underground areas, tunnels and such.

“I had decided to stop by at the Hamilton Boutique Guest House, which is where I had plotted a possible tunnel entrance or exit.

Decorated - The interior is well preserved (Image: Martin Halliday)

“The lady at Hamilton’s Boutique was very nice and allowed me to snap some photographs.”

Mr Halliday moved onto the guest house shortly after reaching a dead-end with the tunnel investigation.

After asking painters and decorators to allow him access to the home, he managed to “get the photos and video that I yearned for.”

You can watch Martin’s full exploration on the DE-eVOLVED youtube channel.