Have you ever come across an abandoned site on Vancouver Island?
It most likely caught your eye and sparked your curiosity.
Why were these places abandoned? What happens to them after everyone has left?
They’re eerie, empty and forgotten.
Urbex (Urban Exploration) is the exploration of manmade structures or hidden components of the manmade environment. Over time, urbex has become a popular hobby worldwide drawing in those curious about the history of these abandoned places and experiencing them for themselves.
Many hobbyists document their finds through photography.
Now, you can get an inside look at ‘Deerlepe’, Sooke’s 95-year-old abandoned mansion, without leaving your home!
The video footage explores the 30-acre oceanfront mansion inside and out, including plenty of spooky shots of what has been left behind.
The 30-acre oceanfront mansion was built in 1926 for WW1 veteran Caption P.T “Buck” Taylor and his wife Margaret.
The home has 12 rooms, servants quarters, servants staircase, an elevator and beautiful woodwork.
It was owned by the Manning family until 1998 before being sold to film director John Lee Thompson and his wife Penny. Since Thompson and his wife lived in California, the property was looked after by Sooke resident Pat Forest.
In 2008, the property was sold to unknown off-shore buyers and has sat uninhabited ever since.
Since then, the house has been the victim of extreme vandalism, frustrating the previous owners of the mansion and nearby neighbours in Sooke.
The vandals have broken the lead glass windows, smashed walls and plumbing fixtures and spray painted almost every surface.
The Deerlepe mansion is currently for sale for $9,999,000.
In an attempt to prevent more vandalism, keep everyone safe and respect the rules of Urbex we will not be sharing the exact address of the mansion.
During exploration, always remember to be cautious, stay on marked trails and do not trespass onto private property.
Do not take anything, respect the space and leave it as you found it.
