Gina Baksa takes a look at this month’s Chorley’s Attic Sale, offering pieces collected over 400 years by Spetchley Park, one of Britain’s most celebrated estates.
Collectors of antique British pieces are lining up to take part in Chorley’s Attic Sale on Tuesday, 28th January, when historical pieces from one of Britain’s most significant estates will be offered.
Each unique piece offers a fascinating overview of the passions and lifestyle of past members of the Berkeley family. The sale should offer something for everyone, with some of the items in the sale estimated to sell below £100.
Spetchley Park has been the seat of the Berkeley family, one of Britain’s greatest dynasties, since the early 17th century. The house has provided the backdrop for many historical events. It was even proposed as the headquarters for Winston Churchill and his cabinet in the event of a successful German invasion during World War II.
The pieces on offer have been carefully collected over 400 years, and range from rare silver, Worcester porcelain, interesting curios and a library of antiquarian books.
Some of the items to go under the hammer in Chorley’s January sale were picked up by the Berkeleys during their travels across Europe, North America and Colonial India and kept in the property’s private 19th-century museum.
Others were purchased at country house auctions, and so it is fitting that they now go to new homes in a traditional sale.
Other properties offered will include Old Master Paintings from the collection of the late Lady Killearn, which, until recently, were hung in the great hall of Little Sodbury Manor.
Both Henry VIII and his wife Anne Boleyn are said to have stayed at the 500-year-old Grade I listed Manor during what was known as a ‘Summer Progress’ of 1535. Also, it is reputed that William Tyndale began his Bible translation there.
The portraits in the sale primarily date to the 17th century and include pieces depicting armoured noblemen and richly dressed ladies.
Carpets from one of Gloucestershire’s principal country houses will be offered. Including a very fine lion and peacock decorated Ziegler carpet, which has a pre-sale estimate of £12,000-£18,000.
Chorley’s Director and Auctioneer, Thomas Jenner-Fust, said: “From a lock of Elvis’s hair to the smallest house in the Cotswolds, Chorley’s has sold some significant lots over the years, but this particular auction is one of our most exciting to date.
“With two historical and private collections going under the hammer for the first time, this is an excellent opportunity for historians, collectors and locals alike to acquire a piece of British history with significant provenance.”
Chorley’s Spetchley Park Attic Sale – Where and How?
The sale takes place on Tuesday, 28th January 2020, at Chorley’s, Prinknash Abbey Park, near Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL4 8EU, United Kingdom. Interested parties and bidders have the opportunity to bid online. Registration needs to be done via through Chorley’s website: www.chorleys.com.
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