Carlton Towers, near Selby, sells art and furniture to fund refurbishment

Carlton Towers, near Selby, sold a total of 120 lots to fund the refurbishment of the interior of the building.

Before the sale, James Stourton, Sotheby’s chairman, UK, described the Victorian interior of Carlton Towers as one of the finest in the country.

He said: “Carlton Towers contains some of the most opulent Victorian interiors in the country and this sale offers the rare opportunity to acquire items that reflect the remarkable evolution of this historic noble house.”

The most expensive item to go was an oil painting entitled Satyrs And Fauns Dancing Before A Shrine by Dirk van der Aa. Estimated to sell for between £50,000 and £70,000 it eventually went for £241,250 to a private collector.

Other highlights included two almost matching pairs of George III silver wine coolers. Expected to fetch between £60,000 and £80,000 they eventually went for £147,650.

Speaking after the sale, Lord and Lady Gerald Fitzalan Howard said: “We are thrilled with the results.

“It has, of course, been sad to see such well-loved items from Carlton Towers go, but we are extremely pleased to be able to reinvest the funds raised by today’s sale.

“It is tremendously rewarding that, given the enthusiastic bidding in the Sotheby’s sale room and the overall results that exceeded expectations, it feels safe to assume that the historic pieces from Carlton Towers will be much appreciated and valued by their new owners.”

An ancient family house, Carlton Towers and the estate has passed directly by descent since the Norman Conquest, through the Bruces and Bellews, then the Stapleton family, who were prominent in the Middle Ages, and then to the Beaumonts followed by the Tempests.

The Tempest fortune not only saved the house and estate following the bankruptcy of the 9th Lord Beaumont, but also brought to Carlton the collection of furniture, paintings and objects of Broughton, many of which were included in this sale.