Corby Castle auction draws worldwide interest
Castle collection sale makes almost £1.5m. Tony Henderson reports
The sale of an extensive collection of art, antiques and silver from an “outstanding” North of England mansion house totalled £1.48m – 55% above the top estimate.
The Grade I listed Corby Castle, overlooking the River Eden six miles from Carlisle, has been sold after being placed on the market with an asking price of £15m.
The sale of over 1,300 lots in the collection, built up by Lord and Lady Ballyedmond and which attracted bidders worldwide, was conducted by Tennants Auctioneers.
Country Life magazine describes Corby as an “extraordinary property, one of Britain’s greatest private residential and sporting estates”.
It is built around a red sandstone fortified tower house dating from the 13th century.
The silver section alone realised a total hammer price of £699,290 for the 324 lots, 57% over the top estimate.
The top lots included an Indian silver venison dish and cover by Hamilton & Co, Calcutta, made in the first half of the 19th century, which sold for £22,000; a massive Edward VII silver Monteith bowl by Charles Stuart Harris, London, 1901, which sold for £16,000; and a Portuguese silver tray from the first half of the 19th century, which went for £16,000.
A further tranche of silver from Corby Castle will be sold in a second sale on March 13.
A painting by Italian artist Giorgio Lucchesi fetched £42,000, a French bronze ormolu striking mantel clock made £8,500, a pair of gilt and bronze candlesticks sold for £9,000, and a Louis XV tapestry realised £7,000.
The manor of Corby became the property of Richard Salkeld in 1336 and remained in the family until it was sold in 1611 to Lord William Howard.
Corby Castle remained in the Howard family until 1994, when it passed to Lord and Lady Ballyedmond.
The present façade was built for Henry Howard between 1812 and 1817.
In 1981 the building was used as a location for the filming of a five-part BBC dramatisation of The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins.