Giant sale of art dealer's antiques set to raise £3m

One of Britain's biggest antique sales from an art dealer is expected to raise at least £3m from the sale of 5,000 pieces of furniture and paintings.

The dealer, Kevin Smith, will host the sale at his 12th-century manor estate in Northamptonshire. The sale items have been divided into 1,500 lots. Furniture for sale includes intricate mahogany dining tables, carved four-poster beds, dining-room chairs, marble and bronze sculptures, glass and porcelain. The art collection includes 15th-century tapestries, as well as paintings from the Renaissance to Victorian Britain.

Mr Smith, who was born in Yorkshire, moved to Barnwell Manor two years ago when he shifted his wholesale business, Windsor House Antiques, from Leeds to London. He started the business in Leeds in 1957, aged 17, and has spent a lifetime assembling the antiques that are now being sold off.

"We have taken this opportunity to auction stock that has remained unseen and out of the marketplace for years," said Mr Smith, vice-chairman of the London and Provincial Antique Dealers Association.

"We had about 30,000 square feet of storage space in Leeds, but when he moved that was halved, so we decided to have a clear out. It is a wonderful opportunity for buyers to acquire a wide selection of antiques suitable for all tastes and budgets."

The 1,500 lots, priced from £30 to £200,000, will be auctioned by Sotheby's in Barnwell Castle, next to the manor house, from 28 to 30 May.