The palatial mansion is also known among urban explorers as Château des Bustes after the many statues and busts that adorn its halls, one of which can be seen here in the dining room. Photographed here back in 2016, the room wasn't much changed from its high-society heyday, with a gilded mirror, Persian rug and fine cabinetry still intact. Even the curtains are still hanging in place.

According to a historic census of the area taken between 1692 and 1790, the residence was occupied by a Monsieur Joseph-Laurent in 1777. A prominent member of the French aristocracy, he was a marquis and a knight of the Order of St Louis – a chivalric order established by King Louis XIV to honour his military officers.

Unbelievably expensive abandoned mansions