A 200-year old Georgian property has been razed to the ground by a fire with nothing more than a pile of bricks and timber left.

Nothing is still standing from the three-storey detached Grade II listed Belringham House, on Sutton Valence Hill, just outside Maidstone, after a major fire at the weekend, believed to be suspicious by the Kent Fire and Rescue investigators.

KOL's video of the damage. Scroll down for an explorer's video of the inside of the house

A few outbuildings are relatively untouched, but the home itself is just a pile of bricks. As attention focused on the house, it was revealed an urban explorer had filmed inside and found the home had been left packed with household and personal items, including human ashes.

When the blaze was at its peak on Saturday, residents in the village of Sutton Valence had to keep their windows shut because of the pall of smoke over the area.

Firefighters received the first call at 12.30pm on Saturday but it wasn't until 33 hours later at just after 9pm on Sunday that crews left.

The home is off the Headcorn Road, the A274. Traffic is now flowing again after the road was closed for more than 24 hours at the weekend, but it is reduced to one lane, controlled by traffic lights.

There is no danger of collapse from the ruined building, as Kent Fire and Rescue Service has already overseen a controlled demolition of the one remaining wall still standing after the fire, but rather because a small hole has been dug in the carriageway to access the electricity supply.

The only person now on site is a Southern Gas Networks engineer, who is waiting for a digging team to arrive so that the gas supply to the property can be properly capped.

The traffic lights are not causing any major delays at present, but it is predicted queues will become lengthier during rush hour, with people advised to find a different route if possible.

Kent Fire and Rescue say they are treating the cause of the fire as suspicious.

The home is believed to have been purchased recently after lying derelict for many years.

Neighbours said the house, which had been broken into many times, and had most of its windows smashed, had been so crammed full of papers, boxes and furniture that there was little room to move about.

In a YouTube video, called Abandoned Sleepy Hollow and filmed for the Abandoned World Explorer channel, a man who visits the house finds vintage furniture, clothes, letters and even toiletries left crammed in the house, alongside valuable antiques and sentimental items.

In it the commentator says: "This is so beautiful, this house, I can't stress how gorgeous this place is. It's just absolutely amazing, it really is.

"This place needs saving."

On finding two sets of ashes on the water-damaged table belonging to Hilda and Patricia, the unnerved vlogger says "It feels like someone's sitting in the chair."

Peter Garrod, who lives on the ridge overlooking the property, said: "It went up like a furnace. You could see the flames going from room to room.

"Once the roof collapsed, the two chimneys were initially left standing. Then they collapsed bringing down parts of the side walls with rubble spilling into the road.

Its last occupant was an elderly recluse, who went into a nursing home. He was said to have been a hoarder.

Kent Police said: "The fire is being treated as suspicious. It is being investigated by police and Kent Fire and Rescue Service.

"Anyone with information is asked to call the west Kent appeals line on 01622 604100, quoting reference 46/116246/21."

For more on YouTube, search Abandoned World Explorer

Read more: All the latest news from Maidstone

Read more: All the latest news from Weald

—