The charred remains of the Sunningdale homestead.PHOTO/STUART MUNRO 250913WCSMHOUSE3
A Waitotara homestead that was destroyed by a fire took with it more than a century of memories and history, according to its heart-broken former owner.
Sunningdale, the home of the Parsons family for three generations, was reduced to ashes on Monday night, around 7.30pm.
The cause of the blaze is not yet known.
The house was occupied, but no one was home at the time.
Christine Haber and her late husband, Ed Parsons, bought the house, on SH3 between Maxwell and Waitotara, around seven years ago, to prevent it being sold by a cousin to someone outside the family.
"It was a grand old house, exquisitely made of heart rimu. It was huge. It even had a library and a billiards room," Ms Haber said.
However, a century of no maintenance had left the house in poor condition by the time Ms Haber bought it.
"I remember pulling off some of the wallpaper and 100 years of crap just poured down on top of me," she said.
She restored the house, including installing chandeliers in the formal entranceway and did a total overhaul of the wiring.
However, after Mr Parsons died, Ms Haber was unable to keep the house, and it was sold outside the Parsons family for the first time in its history.
Yesterday Ms Haber went back for a final look at the house, which is now a smouldering pile of ash and twisted metal. Only the central fireplace remains intact.
"You used to drive up that beautiful circular driveway and glimpse the house through the trees. It's just heart-breaking to see what's left."
Ms Haber said she understood Sunningdale's current owner was overseas and other people were staying in it.
The house was for sale, with an asking price of $620,000.