Contents of 18th-century dower house in North Yorkshire to be auctioned off after owner's death

Beal House in the village of Thornton-le-Street was originally the dower house for the Gautby estate, and is now Grade II-listed.

Until his death in 2019 it was the home of businessman Ian Stewart, and he has extensively restored it since he bought the Georgian property in the 1990s.

Although the principal contents have already been sold, there are still around 600 lots of smaller items to go under the hammer.

Auctioneers Lyon & Turnbull held the first sale in October 2020 and it surpassed expectations, attracting 2,000 bidders and generating over £900,000 - more than double the pre-sale estimate.

The lots included furniture from both the18th and 19th centuries, decorative Asian ceramics, portraits and garden statues, as Mr Stewart was an avid collector of antiques.

Mr Stewart died at the age of 70, leaving his wife Cheryl, sons James and Alexander and two grandchildren.

The estate itself was sold and broken up in the 1920s, with the main house, Thornton-le-Street Hall, being demolished. The stables and part of the parkland became a stud.

The sale takes place on January 27-28.