Furniture And Works Of Art From Film Set Of Withnail & I Sell For £250,000

This week saw the long anticipated Withnail and I auction at Bellmans with the collection selling for four times its low estimate for over £250,000, its proceeds benefitting UK charities.

Will Pasfield, auctioneer for the sale, said:

"I am thrilled that all the lots sold so well and that we had a packed room and lots of new bidders online.

"It shows what an amazing eye Professor Nevill had and while he saved so many pieces from certain destruction in the past, the auction has helped to find new homes for all of them."

Top lot of the auction was the beautiful portrait of Clara Flower from 1872 by Anthony Frederick Augustus Sandys (1829-1904) which sold for three times its mid-estimate for £21,000 to a telephone bidder.

The famous portrait of Lady Hamilton by Henry Harris Brown (1864-1948) from 1905 sold for £13,000 against an estimate of £1,500 - £2,500 to a private collector on the phone.

(Credit: No Frills/Flickr)

The equally recognisable tapestry from the movie also sold to a private buyer for £13,000, but had been estimated at £2,000 - £4,000.

The two famous sofas from the film had been estimated at £4,000 - £6,000 each and both sold to private buyers who paid £12,000 and £9,500 respectively.

Conrad Frankel, one of Bernard Nevill's godsons, was the successful bidder for the final lot - Uncle Monty's sofa, no doubt one of the most famous sofas in cinema history.

He said:

"I wasn't really going for any of the 'Withnail & I' lots, but when the sofa didn't seem to go for as much as the other one, I just couldn't resist….I thought I am the right man for that sofa!

"I have such great memories of spending part of my childhood on that sofa and I remember sitting on it with my grandfather and Bernard on my 21st birthday.”

The British black comedy from 1987, has been described by the BBC as "one of Britain's biggest cult films" and established Richard E. Grant's film career and celebrates its 35th anniversary this spring.

The 'Withnail and I' telephone box, Bampton (cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Karl and Ali - geograph.org.uk/p/3329440)

Set in 1969, it follows two unemployed actors as they decide they need a holiday and borrow the cottage owned by Withnail's eccentric Uncle Monty, played by Richard Griffiths.

Uncle Monty's luxurious house in Chelsea was in fact the home of Professor Bernard Nevill - West House, Glebe Place - and the scenes were filmed in his living room.

Bellmans was able to offer the furniture and works of art from this film location as part of the auction of his estate. 

The Trustees and Executors of the estate have confirmed that all the proceeds from the sale will be donated for a good cause to UK registered charities in loving memory of Bernard Nevill.