An urban explorer has searched the abandoned home of the late Jake Mangle-Wurzel who christened himself ‘King of the Eccentrics’ – and found it full of quirky inventions, headless mannequins and even a torture device.
Daniel Sims (32) searched for a local property after searching it in December. This was four months after Sims’s death from skin cancer at the age of 83.
Kirkwood Hospice reports that an 83 year-old man who lived his whole life with the desire to smile on others’ faces, passed away in August. His family was there to support him.
Self-confessed “professional eccentric” rose to prominence in the 1980s, appearing on numerous television programs. He was also featured in a documentary in 2014 about his personal life.
He lived in a cottage in Huddersfield, which he called ‘Wonderful Wurzel Land’, where he worked on his unusual inventions – including his prized car, which has a bathtub and toilet on the roof.
Hoarders featured him before.
Daniel is a Huddersfield resident who regularly posts his exploits in abandoned buildings to his YouTube channel BeardedReality.
Urban explorer Daniel Sims has searched the abandoned Yorkshire cottage of the late Jake Mangle-Wurzel who christened himself ‘King of the Eccentrics’ – and found it full of quirky inventions, gadgets and torture devices. The cottage
Mangle Wurzel’s car, which features a toilet and bath on its rooftop is one of his most famous possessions.
This ‘professional eccentric,’ became famous in 1980s TV and film shows.
Mangle-Wurzel died at the age of 83. He lived in Huddersfield in West Yorkshire where he created unusual inventions.
Daniel came across an ancient headstone with the words “Mary Ann”, which was engraved with various items, that had been found.
Daniel Sims shows us the place in his video. He explores it after Mangle Wurzel died.
Pictured is an old caravan that was built on the spot of Jake MangleWurzel, a hoarder from Huddersfield in West Yorkshire.
Pictured here: The interior is filled with dozens signs, one of which was part a campaign to save Huddersfield Royal Infirmary.
Pictured: Jake Manglewurzel, who passed away from skin cancer last August at the age of 83. He left behind an artful home.
He explores the abandoned property in his most recent video.
Daniel enters the caravan near the main house and finds an antique headstone reading “Mary Ann”, wife of Abraham Ramsden” as well as a tree with ornaments hanging from it.
Daniel explains some local rumours about the eccentric – including his alleged seven marriages, the latter of which was apparently to his dog, and his home burning down in 2010.
He was living temporarily in a caravan that he had set on fire by his solid fuel burner in 2015, after which he lost it to the flames.
In April 2015, he lost his static caravan and was displaced. This is five years after a fire gutted his house for 40+ years.
Jake won a legal battle that lasted two years and was forced to give up his valuables by Kirklees Council, who discovered it had been spilling onto public land.
Daniel’s surprise when he discovers that a mannequin is propped up in front of the window, as he continues to explore the remaining home of the inventor.
It appears that the home is filled with random objects such as a police cap and road signs.
Interestingly, the eccentric also appears to have created a miniature wall out of cigarette butts – which Daniel notes appear to have been glued together ‘with his own phlegm’.
Pictured: A variety of devices were scattered around the cottage, including what appeared to be an in-house stockade that held a mannequin
Mangle-Wurzel shows footage from her home that captures a strange collection of objects, including kitchen appliances and mannequins.
Photo: The painting in the cottage looked in good shape despite being covered in dust.
The home contained many signs, including this sign for “The Queen’s Theatre”, as well as statues and manequins.
Kirklees Council fought for two years with the hoarder about items that had been spilling onto public land.
The urban explorers discovered a temporary headstone in one area of the cottage dedicated to Shattwell Shufflebottom (pictured left). A variety of figures and statues, including a white car, are scattered throughout the house.
It is amazing that in one space, there are many pictures of the man printed on A4 paper and a homemade chicken clock.
Daniel explores the rest of the main home and sees the electrical wiring.
Mangle-Wurzel is known for his ingenious inventions. Peats Ponds cottage in Lindley Moor featured its own drawbridge.
A water wheel powered a huge hand that could be raised and lowered with just two fingers. This was used to greet guests.
They later find a temporary headstone dedicated to Shattwell Shufflebottom, another female nude mannequin and a handcrafted windmill.
Outside, Mangle-Wurzel’s car takes pride of place, with a toilet and cat statues on top – which Daniel describes as ‘bizarre’.
“I have never seen anything similar to this,” he said.
Jake Mangle-Wurzel is well known for creating bizarre inventions, such as the home-made windmill at his cottage.
Mangle-Wurzel had several items at his home, including an old bike that had become entangled in ivy as well some scissors and old sunglasses.
Some of the most bizarre designs were discovered by explorers. Pictured is another of Jake’s amazing inventions
Numerous mannequins were found in the house. A mannequin is shown with a temporary headstone in the cottage.
Pictured is a sign Jake used to hang on a bridge, offering support and help for people feeling suicidal. This sign says: “You don’t have to lose your life.” Jake the Rake claims that he’ll teach you how to save your life for no cost.
Notes were written on the wall of the kitchen. Photographed: Reminder for dentist appointments on the kitchen cabinet
Pictured (left) A room in Manglewurzel’s house is littered with random objects and (right), a sign that reads ‘Wonderful Root-land.
They also find an old mannequin, which has been transformed into a water feature. It features a hosepipe that runs through the head, and a small wheel at the crotch, to control the feature.
The area is lined with several open coffins, one of which was filled with another nude figurine.
Jam Press reported that Daniel said, “The inventions he left behind are some wacky design which he designed himself.”
“His car is very well-known and has many items attached to it such as cats, the tub and signs he made.
Daniel also points out a makeshift drawbridge as notable, as well as ‘random torture devices’ – including what appears to be a handcrafted stocks restraining device, which was used to hold a mannequin.
He stated, “The atmosphere was pure wonderment at what had been left behind.”
“Seeing the bizarre and wonderful inventions of Jake and his life was an amazing experience. There is no other way to describe it.