NEW photos from an urban explorer show the inside of a century-old matron’s house in Romsey.

The cottage, behind Romsey Hospital, was so overgrown that it could not be seen. However, plans to extend the car park meant the adjoining site had to be cleared, revealing the dilapidated house.

Southern Health NHS Trust, which operates the hospital, said the building, which has also been used as a mortuary, would not be demolished.

The photos were taken by urban explorer Jayde McKenner, and posted to her Facebook page Jayde Explores.

She told the Echo's sister paper the Romsey Advertiser: “I first spotted this house back in 2017. As an explorer, I spend a lot of my time driving around or searching Google Maps to see what is hidden under the trees.

“But on this occasion I parked up in the back car park of the hospital, looking at the overgrown trees at the back of the car park, when I noticed what looked like a chimney. As an explorer, I'm interested in old derelict buildings so I made my way through the overgrown brambles to be greeted by this very overgrown house, at first I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I thought no way there was a house in there!

“This very old house had been reclaimed by nature with the trees growing in and around the house. I battled my way through the branches to find the front door wide open, it was pretty eerie inside, with paint peeling off the doors, and wallpaper still on some parts of the walls. The fireplaces were still intact. Whilst inside I couldn't stop thinking about its history and the mystery behind the house.

“Being sat on hospital grounds and with the strange layout of the house inside, I knew there was more to the house, and probably wasn’t just a house and had to of been a mortuary at some point. I posted my photos onto Romsey Revisited with many residents not knowing what was sitting behind those trees for many years, others knew of its history and knew people who lived there, one being my uncle Denny!”