THE £31 million mansion that played home to Bruce Wayne in Batman Begins is in a heartbreaking state of decay after a deal to turn it into a luxury hotel fell through – and even the Caped Crusader might not be able to save it now.

The sprawling 19th-century English country house Mentmore Towers was widely used as a movie set, with Eyes Wide Shut among the other films shot there.

But now the once-mighty Buckinghamshire pad, which was built between 1852 and 1854 for the Rothschild family as a place for Baron Mayer de Rothschild to display his collection of fine art, has been left to languish.

In 1944, a significant portion of the estate was sold off, but the mansion, its grounds, formal gardens, several farms, and the majority of the village of Mentmore remained under the ownership of Harry Primrose, the 6th Earl of Rosebery, until his passing in 1974.

The Earl’s executors explored the possibility of preserving Mentmore Towers, along with its contents, as a heritage property and making it accessible to the public, similar to other National Trust properties.

However, despite extended discussions between the executors and government representatives over the next three years, no agreement was reached to safeguard the mansion for the nation.

As a result, in 1977, the contents of the house were auctioned off to the public by Sotheby’s. The following year, the vacant mansion, along with its formal gardens and 80 acres of land, was sold to the Maharishi Foundation, which occupied it for the subsequent two decades.

In 1999, the property changed hands once again, this time being sold to investor Simon Halabi.

Halabi had plans to construct additional hotel and conference facilities, but these plans ultimately fell through, leading to the property’s neglect and deterioration.

It now languishes on English Heritage’s ‘At Risk’ register and may simply be too expensive to repair with significant damage including a collapsing roof uncovered by urban explorers.

In 1998, the esteemed halls of this location were graced by none other than the Spice Girls themselves, who chose it as the backdrop for their music video, ‘Goodbye.’

Joining a prestigious lineage of artists such as Roxy Music, Mike Oldfield, and Enya, the Spice Girls followed suit in capturing the essence of this remarkable place through their unique visual storytelling.

Additionally, keen observers may identify certain areas of the estate as Wayne Manor, the iconic residence of Bruce Wayne, portrayed by Christian Bale, in the 2005 film Batman Begins.

But the once grand structure now stands desolate and crumbling, with water seeping through its damaged roof, resulting in sections of the building collapsing.

Regrettably, its current state has led to English Heritage’s monitoring the mansion, where its condition has been classified as poor, indicating an imminent danger of further rapid deterioration or potential loss of the structure’s fabric.

Ben James, one of the many photographers who has explored the abandoned building, told the Daily Mail: “Sadly now most of it is falling apart and needs gutting, which is such a shame.

“Ceilings are falling down. It’s hard to see how anyone will be able to do anything with it because it would cost too much money.

“There is a library with secret rooms behind bookcases. I recognised it from the Batman film.

“It’s sad when you think of its history and what has been filmed there as it is such a beautiful house.”

But if anyone’s after a nice little doer-upper not far from London… this could be your chance.