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One for the intrepid explorers! Deep in the jungle between Holland Road, Napier Road and Tyserall Avenue, yet still a short trek from the main road, lies Istana Woodneuk, one of the palaces of the old ruling family of Singapore, the Sultans of Johor.
This spectacular mansion was built in the late 19th century by Sultan Abu Bakar for his wife, Sultana Khadijah. The property was sold to the Sultan’s son, Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar who rebuilt Woodneuk in the 1930s for his Scottish born wife, Helen Bartholomew who became Sultana Helen Ibrahim in 1931.
It became a military hospital in the 1940s and was bombed by the Japanese in September 1942, reportedly killing 700 medics and patients. It finally succumbed to a fire in 2006, which gutted the house destroying its iconic blue tiled roof and has since lain empty.
Whilst derelict, the property is surprisingly intact and many of the original features are still clearly visible. The land is reportedly still owned by the Sultan of Johor. Unsurprisingly, it features on Singapore’s most haunted list so beware!
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