A PICTURE from a Forest country house which was expected to fetch between £600 and £900 at auction eventually sold for a staggering £35,000.

The artwork, Portrait of a Gentleman in Hunting Dress, by 20th century artist Sir Oswald Birley, was one of more than 500 items from Pen Moel at Woodcroft which were auctioned last Thursday (June 2).

The 63-inch by 44-inch artwork was eventually bought by a buyer in Italy.

The price when the hammer fell was £35,000 but auction costs took the full price to £43,400.

The sale of interiors from the house was carried out by auctioneers Dreweatts at Donnington Priory in Berkshire and realised a total of £268,131.

Among the other items which made more than their estimates were a Regency ebonised and parcel gilt-day bed from around 1815 which was sold to a private buyer in the UK for £7,192. The estimate had been between £800 and £1,200.

A pair of 19th century columnar pedestals which had been expected to fetch between £400 and £600 went to a UK private buyer for £3,224.

Ashley Matthews, an interiors specialist at Dreweatt’s said: “(The) sale highlighted once again the desire for quality fresh to market antiques and collectables. 

“Lot 335, a Regency day bed, and lot 415 (a George III sideboard) were fine examples of their kind and justifiably sold well above top estimate. 

“As a whole the sale enjoyed particularly strong bidding from private buyers – pieces sourced from collections such as Pen Moel always prove popular.”

The interior sale is the first of a number of auctions featuring property from Pen Moel. Others will feature paintings, clocks and Japanese and Chinese ceramics.