Curiosities for sale to save fire-damaged mansion

8 hours ago

Marcus White & Emma Ruminski

BBC News

A fossilised mammoth is valued at more than £200,000

BBC A mammoth skeleton stands in a cluttered room containing other fossils, artworks and plants. The room has exposed brickwork and no soft furnishings. Bright light is coming from a window high up the far wall. — A fossilised mammoth is valued at more than £200,000

An offbeat collection of prehistoric remains, taxidermy animals and artworks is being sold by the owner of a stately home following a notorious fire.

Grade I listed Parnham House, near Beaminster, Dorset, was gutted in a suspected arson attack in 2017.

Dreweatts Auctioneers said the sale on 13 May could raise about £1.3m.

Former rave promoter James Perkins, who bought the property in 2020 and has collected the items over several decades, said he hoped the sale would pay for work to complete the building's roof.

Mr Perkins, 56, who co-founded the Fantazia events brand, said: "We've done a whole wing. We were saving that because it was raining in the house and we needed somewhere to have an office.

"We've got an awful lot more work to do... There's been lots and lots of delays which hasn't really helped the building."

Parnham's owner James Perkins said the sale would pay for the completion of the roof

James Perkins smiles outside Parnham House. He has a beard and light brown and grey hair in a quiff and wears a black top. — Parnham's owner James Perkins said the sale would pay for the completion of the roof

The fire broke out in the early hours of 15 April 2017 and took four days to be fully extinguished.

Previous owner Michael Treichl was arrested on suspicion of arson and was found dead two months later.

In 2020, Historic England said the need for over-roofing and scaffolding support to the internal structure was becoming "more critical".

The auction comprises 448 lots including a taxidermy male lion wearing a crown and a skeleton of a giraffe wearing stilettos.

A fossil of a mammoth has the highest valuation of between £200,000 and £300,000.

Mr Perkins said his collection was a "collision" of natural history, artworks and curiosities

A taxidermy zebra is in the foreground of a cluttered drawing room containing other taxidermy animal heads, a reptile skull and ornate and designer furniture. — Mr Perkins said his collection was a "collision" of natural history, artworks and curiosities

Other notable items include a mounted skeleton of an ichthyosaur - a prehistoric marine reptile - as well as marble Roman capitals, a prehistoric fossilised frond and artworks by Mr Perkins himself.

The collector said: "There's a little sense of humour and a whimsical aspect to it but then also quite a serious part... when you've got these creatures that go back hundreds of millions of years.

"I don't know, outside of the Natural History Museum, anyone who's tried to do it for their home."

Dreweatts Auctioneers, which handled Mr Perkins' previous sale of artworks and curiosities at Aynhoe Park in Northamptonshire, said it expected interest from buyers across the world.

Mr Perkins has opened the 131-acre estate to visitors and has won an events licence as well as permission to build holiday chalets in the grounds.