Arts and antiques from historic Derbyshire country house Ogston Hall are going up for auction

Descendants of the renowned historian Gladwyn Turbutt, who lived at Ogston Hall, are selling furniture, portraits and ceramics at auction on September 15 and 16, 2026.

Gladwyn sold his country house at Brackenfield in 1973 after it had been in his family’s possession for 256 years.

The Gladwyn Turbutt Collection, which will be auctioned at Cheffins’ Fine Sale, comprises approximately 130 lots, including 30 lots directly from the family collection at Ogston Hall.

Among the highlights is a group of Chinese ceramics collected by Richard Turbutt (1689 – 1758) and particularly notable is an early Chinese famille rose tea and coffee service, from the Qing Dynasty, Yongzheng Emperor (1722-1735), which carries an estimate of £3,000–£5,000. There are also two rare 18th-century brass dog collars, each engraved “Willm. Turbutt Esq. of Ogston Darbyshire”. The inscription refers to William Turbutt, who lived at Ogston Hall from 1768 to 1837.

Several family portraits including Gladwyn and Ellen Turbutt, painted in the 19th century by Henry William Pickersgill, are included in the collection. The sale also includes works acquired by Gladwyn Turbutt during his long collecting career. Among these is a still life by Dutch artist Paul Theodor van Brussel (1754–1795), estimated at £6,000–£8,000, alongside a moonlit view of Windsor Castle by British artist Sebastian Pether (1790–1844).

Furniture and decorative arts include an important Louis XV carved wood and gilded console table, estimated at £3,000–£5,000, and a 19th-century French gilt-bronze and white marble revolving mantel clock, modelled as The Three Graces, estimated at £1,500–£2,000.

Grade II listed Ogston Hall is recorded in the Domesday Book, with parts of the building dating back to the 16th century. It was also once home to home to one of the most significant literary discoveries in British history: an early edition of Shakespeare’s First Folio, which remained at Ogston Hall for around 150 years before being sold by the Turbutt family to the Bodleian Library in Oxford in 1906.

Brett Tryner, director at Cheffins, said: "Ogston Hall is one of Derbyshire’s most important historic country houses and the provenance of this collection makes it particularly fascinating. These are not simply objects of quality; many have a direct connection to the Turbutt family and to the history of Ogston Hall itself. Some of the family pieces have been at the house since the 18th century, while others reflect Gladwyn Turbutt’s own remarkable passion for collecting. He had an exceptional eye for quality and continued collecting well into his 90s. It is a privilege to be bringing this group to auction and to be able to share these pieces with a new generation of collectors. For anyone with an interest in Derbyshire history, the Turbutt family or the history of collecting, there is a particularly strong story behind this collection.”

For further information call the Fine Art Department at Cheffins in Cambridge on 01223 213343 or email: [email protected]