Slice of Derbyshire country house Ogston Hall's history to be auctioned off

A collection of art and antiques with links to one of Derbyshire’s best-known historic country houses is to be auctioned this month.

The Gladwyn Turbutt Collection, assembled from items at Ogston Hall and from Gladwyn Turbutt’s own collecting career, will be offered at Cheffins’ Fine Sale on September 15 and 16, 2026. The sale comprises approximately 130 lots, including 30 lots directly from the family collection at Ogston Hall.

Among the most notable pieces is a group of Chinese ceramics gathered by Richard Turbutt (1689 – 1758). One of the standouts is an early Chinese famille rose tea and coffee service, from the Qing Dynasty, Yongzheng Emperor (1722-1735), with an estimate of £3,000–£5,000. Also included are two rare 18th-century brass dog collars, each engraved “Willm. Turbutt Esq. of Ogston Darbyshire”, a reference to William Turbutt, who lived at Ogston Hall from 1768 to 1837.

The collection also features family portraits, including depictions of Gladwyn and Ellen Turbutt painted in the 19th century by Henry William Pickersgill. Other works come from Gladwyn Turbutt’s own long period of collecting, among them a still life by Dutch artist Paul Theodor van Brussel (1754–1795), estimated at £6,000–£8,000, and a moonlit view of Windsor Castle by British artist Sebastian Pether (1790–1844).

Furniture and decorative arts in the sale 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.

Gladwyn sold the country house at Brackenfield in 1973 after it had been in his family’s possession for 256 years. 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 one of the most significant literary discoveries in British history: an early edition of Shakespeare’s First Folio, which remained there 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]

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