 The sideboard is Gothic in style |
A sideboard from mid Wales associated with the man who designed the Houses of Parliament is expected to fetch �35,000 at auction later this year. The ornate carved oak piece belongs to owners who live in the Berriew area, Powys, and had no idea of its true value.
The sideboard was originally commissioned by John Naylor for the dining room at Leighton Hall, near Welshpool in the 1850s.
It was made by famous furniture makers JD Crace from a design by Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin, who helped design the Houses of Parliament in the 1830s.
Pugin went on to design a number of country houses in the style of the parliament buildings.
One of these was Leighton Hall which was built by John Naylor after he inherited the estate in 1850.
Classic example
The house was also furnished with many pieces designed by Pugin.
The sideboard was uncovered by Shrewsbury-based antiques auction house Hall Fine Art.
Furniture and ceramics expert, Jeremy Lamond from the company has been on the hunt for Pugin furniture from Leighton Hall since selling a table for �180,000 in 1998.
"The sideboard is not quite in the same league as the table but it is still worth between �25,000 and �35,000," said Mr Lamond.
 Pugin was a designer of the Houses of Parliament |
"The sideboard would have been at Leighton Hall until 1931 when the estate was sold by John Naylor's descendent, Murray Naylor."
Things that have been designed by Pugin are very sought after and the sideboard is a classic example of his work.
"Pugin was a Catholic man and what he tried to do with his furniture was get back to the true principles of Gothic and mediaeval construction," added Mr Lamond.
He is convinced there are other Gothic treasures from Leighton Hall to be found in the Welshpool area.
"There were various sales at Leighton Hall from the 1930s onwards at which various pieces of furniture were dispersed," said Mr Lamond, who based a 10,000 word dissertation on the Pugin table.
He is now researching an academic paper on similar pieces of furniture.
"I am keen to find, research and photograph pieces to complete my research paper," he added.
The Pugin sideboard will be sold at Welsh Bridge in Shrewsbury on 24 September.
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Pugin was a Catholic man and what he tried to do with his furniture was get back to the true principles of Gothic and mediaeval construction 
