Treasure IN THE ATTIC

We go behind the scenes at a very special country-house auction and hunt for bargains at the Cotswolds’ best antiques shops

- NATASHA FOGES

It is nearly 10am and the sale room at Chorley’s, the prestigious Cotswolds auction house, is abuzz. Prospective bidders inspect the furniture and paintings arrayed around the room, staff ready themselves at the telephones and computers, while the public take a seat and wait for proceedings to begin.

“From a lock of Elvis’s hair to the smallest house in the Cotswolds, Chorley’s has sold some significant lots over the years,” says auctioneer Thomas Jenner-Fust, “but this particular auction is one of our most exciting to date.”

Historic pieces from one of Britain’s greatest estates, Spetchley Park in Worcestershire, are being put up for sale. Spetchley has belonged to the Berkeley dynasty since the early 17th century, and its association with the family and with their ancestral seat, nearby Berkeley Castle – where Elizabeth I played bowls on the green and Edward II met a grisly end – has piqued the interest of collectors across the world.

Spetchley may not boast the pedigree of Berkeley Castle, but it has a significant history, even being earmarked during the Second World War as the headquarters for Winston Churchill and his cabinet in the event of a successful German invasion.

The auction has been organised to raise funds for essential refurbishment and modernisation works: “It is as it was built back in 1815,” explains Henry Berkeley, who will make the house his home once renovations are complete. The works are vital but “It was”, he concedes, “quite a difficult decision to make.”