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BBC News
a day ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Powderham Castle's attic 'treasures' make £540k at auction
Unusual "treasures" from a Devon castle's attic have been sold at auction for more than half a million Earl of Devon detailed some of the items discovered at Powderham Castle, which were auctioned on Tuesday, including canon and some pieces from Charlie Courtenay said: "We had a famous uncle who was the commander of the Royal Welch Fusiliers in about 1900, [he] went off to Peking during the Boxer Rebellion and managed to bring back a bunch of treasures from China including the carrying poles of the sedan chair of the last emperor of China." The chair poles were expected to receive between £8,000 and £12,000 at auction but achieved £40,000, auctioneers Dreweatts said. Lord Courtenay said the process of deciding what would stay and what would be auctioned had been "really fun".He said it was "giving old objects new life". "These things will be really interesting and will be an absolute star of the show in their home, whereas at Powderham they've been sitting sort of undisturbed in an attic for 60 or 70 years." Of the sedan chair poles, Lord Courtenay said: "We figured it's probably about time that they returned either to China or to some Chinese enthusiast rather than being hidden away in the corner of a castle in Devon."He added: "There are so many things squirreled away in the castle attics and in the tops of the towers. There are a few real treasures."He said items that would not be auctioned included a crusading coin of Jocelyn de Courtenay, which was found in a picture frame, and a banyan silk dressing gown that had belonged to the third viscount. The auction on Tuesday achieved a total of £540,890, which will go towards restoring parts of the castle."We reroofed the castle during the pandemic, built the new welcome centre but there's a whole bunch of rooms that sort of require refreshing," Lord Courtenay added the upstairs library "got quite damaged a couple of years ago but [we] managed to do the major repairs and now we need to do the interiors."It's jobs like that, where you are sort of restoring heritage. And you know if we raise sufficient funds we'll be able to put some of those projects in place."
Leader Live
12-05-2025
- General
- Leader Live
MS highlights Wrexham's military traditions following VE Day
MS for Wrexham VE Day allows us to celebrate the resilience and togetherness of the British people who had lived through years of wartime constraints and dangers. It also provides the opportunity to reflect and the 80th anniversary commemorations that took place last week have been particularly poignant as it will be one of the last major public moments of recognition for the diminishing number of veterans from World War Two. As direct links to the past fade, it's more important than ever that we remember those who defended our democracy and made the ultimate sacrifice to protect our way of life. Wrexham is a city with a strong military tradition and a proud association with the Royal Welch Fusiliers, dating back over 300 years. It played its part in the national commemorations last Thursday with a special service taking place at St Giles Parish Church. Afterwards, the RWF Volunteer Corps of Drum led a parade to the cenotaph on Bodhyfryd and I was proud to lay a wreath, alongside other local dignitaries. It is always heartwarming to see so many members of the public in attendance paying their respects to our Armed Forces past and present. Students aged 16 – 18 can now check to see if they're eligible for financial support following the Welsh Labour Government's decision to expand the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA). EMA can be used to help with education costs such as transport, meals or study supplies. This year, even more learners in Wales can benefit from the scheme as income thresholds have been raised. Households with one dependent child are now eligible if their income is £23,400 or less. Households with two or more dependent children are now eligible if their income is £25,974 or less. At £40 a week, the Welsh EMA is the most generous package of support of its kind in the UK and almost 2,000 EMA applications have been approved in Wrexham since 2022. The financial support makes a tangible difference to people's lives and I am pleased even more students look set to benefit from September. Applications for 2025-26 are now open and you can check your eligibility and apply for EMA via the website. As always, if you're a constituent in Wrexham and there is an issue I could help you with, please contact me via email: or call 01978 355743.
