Under the shadows of the formidable Old Man of Coniston lies one of the Lake District’s least known and yet most romantic country estates – Holywath.
The home of the Hext family since 1830, this four hundred year old house became as important in the social life of the Lake District as Brantwood and Water Park (the contents of which were sold by Tennants in July 1987).
There are strong family associations, both directly and indirectly, with some of Coniston’s famous inhabitants and history – John Ruskin, The Coniston Copper Mines, The Coniston/Furness Railways, and the Steam Yacht Gondola. Not far away is Yew Tree Farm, owned by Beatrix Potter in the 1930’s, who, used to visit Holywath for occasional haircuts! As a friend of Mrs Hext, Beatrix Potter (Mrs Heelis) also called regularly for May Moore (the housekeeper at Holywath) to perform such tasks as taking up the hem of her skirt or darning a jumper.
The entire contents of Holywath have been safely removed to The Auction Centre at Leyburn where they will be sold entirely without reserve on Saturday 8 May. The sale instruction comes from the seven surviving children of the late Major John Wilfred Barratt Hext MBE, JP.
During cataloguing, trunks, wardrobes and cabinets were discovered heavy with evocative family photograph albums and diaries, meticulously preserved and giving a fascinating and intensely moving sepia glimpse into a wonderful Lakeland world gone by.
Lot 103
Over 500 catalogued lots will include rarities such as a short story written and illustrated by Kate Greenaway (1846-1901) especially for Violet Severn, daughter of Joan Severn, John Ruskin’s cousin and heir and who lived at Brantwood. John Ruskin corresponded extensively with Kate Greenaway, indeed at one point she anticipated a marriage proposal from him. The children’s story is bound in a William Morris Honeysuckle pattern blocked linen binding and is expected to realise £3000-5000.
Lot 406
The auction includes six watercolours by William Gershom Collingwood (1854-1932) – an author, artist and antiquary, who spent two years working at Brantwood with Ruskin and his associates – indeed Collingwood became John Ruskin’s assistant, and travelled with him extensively in Switzerland. The Collingwoods settled in the Lake District in 1883 and became great friends of Arthur Ransome, who learned to sail in Collingwood’s boat Swallow. William G Collingwood founded the Ruskin Museum at Coniston in 1901, sited just a stone’s throw from Holywath.
Lot 83
Lot 84
The family association with the establishment of railways in the area starts with John Barratt (1793-1866), a mining engineer from Devon, who moved north to manage the Coniston Copper Mines. Some original mine ledgers and letters form part of the sale. Barratt established the Hodbarrow Iron Ore Mines – which became one of the richest in Europe.
John Barratt’s brother Isaac’s great granddaughter Emily married Charles Wilfred Hext (of Cornish ancestry, the Hext family house being Trenarren near St Austell), who fought the Boers, took part in a punitive expedition to the Bor Abor region of India, and eventually died in Alexandria. With great foresight he collected tribal artefacts from the Abor tribes people – and photographed the material, such as jewellery, weapons and traditional costume (on their person), prior to labelling it all up (much of this was discovered in the attics at Holywath, including a human skull – the far North East of India was known for its head hunting traditions!) This primary provenanced material will be of enormous interest to international museums and collectors.
Lot 280
Major C W Hext’s son Major J W B Hext continued the family’s military traditions, and one of his passions was collecting British military medals, some dating back to the George III period, and are alone anticipated to fetch in excess of £30,000. Major Hext (the father of the current vendors) was also a great railway enthusiast and had a model railway running around the gardens at Holywath.
Lot 129
He also collected railway lamps, 0 gauge railway engines and stock, and local railway clocks. Rarities in the sale include a copper hot water urn inscribed FRC Coniston Dormitory (Furness Railway Company). The so-called Dormitory is now the Bluebird Cafe, a building erected by the Furness Railway Company for the management of the S.Y. Gondola (and named after the streamlined power boat used in Donald Campbell’s tragic attempt to break the water speed record in 1967.)
Lot 425
As well as a wealth of country oak, mahogany and upholstered furniture, the sale includes an important musical longcase clock by regional maker Jonas Barber of Winster (estimate £5000-7000), silver and there is are family portraits and portrait miniatures, including numerous members of a very complex family tree – due to past family diligence, the names and details of the sitters are recorded either on the back of the pictures or in relevant documentation.
The sale presents a unique opportunity to bid for a piece of old Lake District history – this fabulous, almost certainly unique, family time capsule is now open.
You can view the contents of Holywath at Tennants Auction Centre in Leyburn on Wednesday 5 May from 9am to 8pm, Thursday 6 May from 9am to 5pm and Friday 7 May from 9am to 4pm
The auction will take place in Leyburn on Saturday 8 May at 10am