Off the beaten track - Istana Woodneuk/Tyersall

Old places always intrigue me, especially in a country like Singapore that is constantly changing and developing. The greens of nature quickly being replaced by the greys of urbanization. When time permits, I'd jump at any chance to explore the hidden gems of the city, and its usually gritty. 

Istana Woodneuk (I've been calling it the Tyersall house for ever, until recently I read that Istana Tyersall was situated near Woodneuk but torn down many years ago.) was once a beautiful grand palace (click to see how it looked like in its hey day) and it has over the years crumbled but has stubbornly stood its ground. I first visited the place in 2007 (and visited a second time a few months later) with my friends to conduct a photoshoot and by then the roof had already caved in and the broken tiles lay strewn all over the second floor, and the steps of the grand staircase had also caved but was haphazardly covered with planks for access to the second floor. 

So when I came across some photos on facebook that a friend of mine took of the place,  I felt compelled to visit again. Surprised yet glad though that it was still standing. The only bad thing was that the only way in was through the jungle(eeep!!!). Adventure time! 

The grass had grown and that annoying blue container was more of an eyesore that the building was.

The view from the lobby. 

Ground floor bathroom.

There were alot of bees at these staircase. I assume a beehive was near and that made me really paranoid.

Mary is my new adventure buddy.

Photo of me taken by Mary. We looked like we were dressed to trek the himalayas. My brother's hiking stick came in handy when climbing steep slopes and for tapping floorboards. 

Much of the second floor had been cleared. The stairs leading here had been repaired, the floors had been cleared of debris and all thats left is plant growth. Can you imagine if creeper plants had engulfed this place?

The main balcony.

garden themed bathroom.

Photos taken with the Ricoh grdIII and iPhone.