Once a luxurious mansion home to a wealthy Irish family in the 1800s, Mayfield House has had its fair share of ups and downs. It has stood empty and abandoned for some 30 years, but now the stunning estate is on the market and faces a new – as yet unknown – chapter of its life. Click or scroll to see inside this extreme fixer-upper...

Located in the town of Portlaw in Waterford, Ireland, the once-stunning mansion is now a crumbling shell in need of a total renovation. Currently on the market for €790,000 (£675k/$904k), the house has a rich history and is just crying out to be restored to its former glory. 

Built in the 1740s, Mayfield House was once the family home of successful corn and cotton magnate, David Malcomson, who took out a 999-year lease on the building in 1825. This picture was taken when the exterior was remodelled in the 1830s. Architect William Tinsley was hired to upgrade the house, turning it into a mansion to fit their upper-class lifestyle.

In its heyday, the house would have been decorated using only the finest materials, including ornate plasterwork, opulent gilding and carved stone fireplaces. Once considered one of the finest country houses in Ireland, the mansion was adapted in the 1870s when it was converted to be used for spinning, and again in the 1930s when it was used as an office for a tannery that operated on the grounds.

However, when the tannery closed in 1985 due to the decline in the Irish leather industry, a proposal was made to convert the stately mansion into a retirement home. The idea never took off, and for the last 30 years, Mayfield House has stood abandoned and empty.

Today, some three decades later, the Italianate-style building is slowly crumbling away and is crying out for a new owner. The stately home is a blank canvas and would make the perfect fixer-upper project for a brave buyer. Let's take the tour...

Today, the once-grand exterior is overrun by unkempt bushes and greenery but the elegant entrance tower remains as a defining feature. It was added to the building in 1857.

Surrounded by the verdant Irish landscape, the magnificent stately home sits in the centre of six sprawling acres of private land. Protected by what's left of the foreboding entrance gates that lead down a long winding path, the derelict property could easily belong in a horror movie. 

As well as the main mansion, the grounds also house numerous buildings. There is a coach house, an orangery that has completely collapsed, and this lodge, which sits at the main gates. This would most likely have been the groundskeeper's house, which all stately homes would have had in the 19th century. 

Hidden away behind overgrown greenery, the exterior is still full of charm and original features. Unlike most listed buildings where the inside must be preserved, the interior of Mayfield House can be re-designed in a modern style that is completely at the discretion of the lucky new owner. 

While the interior may be a blank canvas, plenty of corners of the estate still show signs of life from the past. This wood store is still full of logs, most likely leftover from the tanning process. but they are just crying out to be burned on an ornate fireplace. 

Inside, the mansion is unrecognisable from its previous life. This arched doorway would have once been a stunning entrance. However, today its crumbling steps lead through to an empty room overtaken by nature. 

This skeletal roof is not much better and has been left as a shell. Open to the harsh elements, we can only wonder what would have once been when it was a grand home to one of Ireland's richest families. 

Spread over three floors and sitting on a large basement, the crumbling mansion could be turned into an amazing renovation by a brave new owner with a keen eye for period features. The symmetrical footprint of the house boasts two wings, one of which was originally a conservatory. 

With images of the interior in short supply, this shot shows the current state of the house. This upper floor is falling apart with wood hanging from the ceiling and the floor being non-existent. 

After 30 years of standing abandoned and derelict, we can't wait to see what becomes of the stunning stately home. Hopefully, the right buyer will be willing to take on this unique project and bring this gem back from the brink of collapse.  

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