Tudor treasure destined for bonfire at heart of £5m auction row
A TUDOR artefact once destined for the bonfire is at the centre of a legal row between a council and auctioneers after it was valued at up to £5 million.
The 9ft-wide overmantel had been displayed above a fireplace at Seighford Hall, Staffs, for centuries before it was acquired by antiques dealer Andrew Potter.
The oak piece features the coat of arms of Elizabeth I and is believed to have been gifted by the last Tudor monarch to Richard Eld, a paymaster, in the 1590s as a reward for his services.
Last year the overmantel was removed from Seighford Hall, which had lain derelict for about 20 years, and was expected to fetch between £1.9 million and £5million at a sale organised by Whitchurch Auctions last month.
But just days before the sale, Stafford borough council stepped in to halt proceedings with an interim injunction.
Will Conaghan, a council spokesman, said: “We applied for the injunction to stop any offence being committed under the Dealing in Cultural Objects (offences) Act.
“We want to prevent the sale and the panel to be reinstated in the listed building.”
The council says no listed building consent has been granted for the removal of the overmantel. It is considered one of the hall’s integral fixtures and fittings.
But Michael Jones, of Whitchurch Auctions, said there had been “no wrongdoing involved” in the acquisition of the overmantel by its owner Andrew Potter, who was unaware of its value at first. Mr Potter, who lives in Stafford, had planned to turn the overmantel into a headboard after claiming it was found dumped on a bonfire.
Auctioneer Mr Jones said it was infested with woodworm and due to be burnt on a bonfire before it was acquired by Mr Potter and stored in a garage for several months, where it dried out.
The auctioneers have vowed to fight the injunction, which is due to be considered at a hearing at Birmingham County Court tomorrow.
In the 20th century, Seighford Hall was used as a nursing home and is now set to be transformed into a luxury hotel, though a planning application for the change of use has not yet been submitted to Stafford borough council.
The artefact is currently being stored in a bank vault.
It is believed to be between 417 and 462 years old and features a lion and dragon, representing England and Wales, supporting a shield in the centre.
There are also carvings depicting lyres and hanging fruit, as well as atlas and caryatid figures, and the overmantel is considered to be influenced by architects and designers from France and Italy.