Eclectic Contents of 13th Century Estate to be Auctioned

It is believed the market house in the nearby town of Ledbury was modelled on the Great Hall at Eastington and many of the Tate Gallery’s priceless works of art were stored at the property during the Second World War. The 20th Century author Radclyffe Hall often visited and wrote her acclaimed novel, The Well of Loneliness, during a stay in the early 1920s.

The Eastington Hall collection has graced the rooms of the magnificent 13th Century building for over 20 years. Chorley’s have received kind instructions from Mr and Mrs Hugh Taylor to sell many of the wonderful examples of early oak, walnut and mahogany furniture, fine Eastern rugs, model steam boats and planes and country house effects. The collection, and adding to it, has been a lifelong passion of Mr and Mrs Taylor.

Some of the top lots from Eastington Hall include:

• A pair of Renaissance style carved oak seated lions, stained and part painted features, each carved with a paw resting on a ball, estimate £6,000-8,000
• A model steam launch by Keith Townsend of Annan Fife, estimate £4,000-5,000
• A Persian Tabriz rug, circa 1920, estimate £2,500-3,000
• A late 18th Century eight-day long case clock by James Smith, London, estimate £1,500-2,000 
• A model de Havilland Tiger Moth airplane, estimate £600-800
• A 16th Century North German Coffer, estimate £5,000-7,000
• A 17th Century German carved limewood figure of St Florian, estimate £5,000-7,000
• An oak four poster bed, estimate £2,500-3,500
• An RAF Sector Clock, estimate £800-1,200
• Two late 17th Century oak back stools, estimate £6,000-8,000

Oil paintings, watercolors and jewelry from other properties are also included in the sale; highlights of these include

• Village Scenes by Adriaen Boudewijns (Brussels 1644-1719), estimated value £12,000-18,000
• Portrait of a Lady, English School 18th Century, oil on canvas, estimated value £10,000-15,000
• Figure studies, French School, circa 1820, estimated value £3,000-5,000
• A collection of ninety-three reliquaries, each in an oval silver colored metal frame and mounted with other religious decorations and symbols on red plush in a gilt frame. Provenance: The Archbishop of Florence, with letters of provenance dated 1896, estimated value £2,500-3,000
• Views of Regents Street and Trafalgar Square by E Pegrum (act. 19th Century) oil on canvas, estimated value £2,000-3,000 each
• An Italian turquoise and diamond dress ring by Kutchinsky, estimated value £1,200-1,500

Chorley’s Director and Auctioneer Simon Chorley says

“Chorley’s have been instructed to advise on the sale of the contents of Eastington Hall by two previous owners, the first in the 1980s and now look forward to conducting this magnificent sale. As is often the case with Country House collections, there is a delightfully diverse range of objects including early oak, walnut and mahogany furniture, fine Eastern rugs, model steam boats and planes and country house effects, providinga wonderful opportunity to acquire a piece of Eastington’s history with such provenance.”

Sale date: Tuesday 21 May 2019, 10am