Urban Explorers Breach Abandoned Mansion of Disgraced TV Star Rolf Harris
Standing eerily quiet and left to decay, the abandoned £4 million mansion of paedophile television personality Rolf Harris has been captured in never-before-seen images by urban explorers. The group, known as Tress.Pass.South, broke into the Thames-side property in Bray, Berkshire, last week, posting astonishing footage online that reveals the home's retro 1960s-style interior now in a state of severe disrepair.
Detailed Footage of a Derelict Property
The video showcases a kitchen with vinyl flooring and wood-veneered wall cabinets, now empty except for a kettle and a half-used roll of paper towels. Adjoining this space is a large wood-panelled living area featuring a prominent mirror on the wall, decorated only with an old white armchair tucked away in a corner. The downstairs bedroom, used by Harris and his wife Alwen in their later years, includes an old-fashioned dressing table, while an upstairs bathroom displays a rusty, stained sink basin nearing collapse.
In the six-minute clip, black-clad members of the group are seen vaulting a stone wall into the overgrown garden of the disgraced children's entertainer. Using head-mounted cameras, the trio roamed the weed-strewn grounds, peered into a locked outhouse, and gained access to the basement via an unlocked sliding door. They then climbed steps to a side-door, which was also unlocked, triggering a security alarm as they entered the kitchen.
Exploration and Historical Context
The explorers squeezed through a serving hatch into the living area, moved through an open-plan hallway, and entered a dining room empty save for a Welsh dresser against the wall. After briefly inspecting Harris's former bedroom, they ascended the stairs to film another bedroom with an en-suite and the crumbling bathroom. With the alarm still sounding, they descended, peeked into what appeared to be an old office, and exited past the Thames and over the wall.
The footage was posted on the group's Facebook page on Friday, sparking reactions from viewers. One commenter noted, 'Not the house's fault. Could be made beautiful with a big part of the sale price going to a children's charity. We need to forget Rolf.'
Property's Troubled History and Auction
Harris died in the property from neck cancer at age 93 in May 2023, with an undertaker's private ambulance photographed outside. His wife Alwen, who stood by him, passed away the following August at 93 after a stroke following a vascular dementia diagnosis. The couple, married for 65 years, lived as virtual recluses in their final years.
Initially listed for £4 million nearly a year ago, the mansion failed to attract buyers and is now headed to auction with a guide price slashed by half. Located in a village popular with celebrities, just doors down from the former home of the late Sir Michael Parkinson, the house has fallen into disrepair. Moss covers walls, windows are cracked, and a rusting front gate hangs off its hinges. It is likely to be demolished for a new build.
Harris's Crimes and Legacy
Harris was jailed in July 2014 for five years and nine months after being found guilty of a dozen indecent assaults against four young girls between 1968 and 1986, some occurring in this family home. In one instance, he sexually assaulted a friend of his daughter Bindi when she was aged 13 to 19, performing a sex act while his daughter slept nearby.
Released from prison in 2017, thousands of pounds were spent renovating the property for his return, but neighbours put their multimillion-pound riverside homes up for sale, unable to stomach living next to him. Harris rose to fame in his early 20s after moving to England, becoming an art student and BBC television personality, hosting a cartoon segment on the children's show Jigsaw and inventing the wobbleboard for his song 'Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport'.
