Have you ever fancied calling yourself lord of the manor?

If you have some cash to spare this could be possible, when ancient Worcestershire titles go under the hammer in London on Thursday, May 24.

International property consultants Strutt and Parker are selling seven titles - the lordships of the manors of Oldington, Netherton, Hexton, Dun-clent, Wannerton, Arley and Red Marley Oliver.

They have guide prices between £6,000 and £8,000.

Stephen Hawes of Strutt and Parker said buying titles has become increasingly popular.

"Titles become available for a variety of reasons, such as becoming surplus or peripheral to a large estate, changes in the policies of trusts and corporations who bought them as investments, and the need for the executors of a will to raise money from an estate's assets," he said.

"But it takes time for a full range of good-quality titles to come to the market, which is why it is over three years since our last auction."

The manor of Neth-erton in Cropthorne, near Pershore, was held by the church before 1066 and then, in 1291 by Roger de Somery.

The lordship of Arley, near Stourport-on-Sev-ern, comes with the right to set up gallows; the ownership of fairs and markets; fishing rights on the river Severn and ownership of historic documents, including court rolls, wills and leases. The manor of Hexton was attached to the manor of Arley until about 1313, when it passed to Roger de Hexton.

In 1520 it was bought by John Pakington for his daughter, who married John Lyttelton of Arley, reuniting the titles.

It passed down the Lyttelton line until it was sold to Robert Woodward in 1852.

The 1086 Domesday Survey records Olding-ton as part of the manor of Kidderminster. The manor of Dunclent is in Stone, Kidderminster.

There are three manors of Redmarley in Dodd-ington: Redmarley Ad-am and Red Marley Oliver.

The latter was bought by the first Earl of Dudley from the Foley family, of Kidderminster, in 1836.

Wannerton was an outlying manor of Kidder-minster bought by the Earl of Dudley from the Foleys in 1836.

Successful bidders cannot call themselves Lord Smith, for example, but will buy the right to call themselves lord of the manor.

They will not be buying a seat in the House of Lords, but can apply to the College of Arms for a personal coat of arms.

The auction will take place at the Ironmon-gers' Hall in Barbican in London.