THE contents of Wormington Manor fetched more than the expected £1million at auction this week.

The Sotheby's auction on Monday and Tuesday exceeded the estimate on the first day and made a total of £1,379,334, with only 21 of the 942 lots left unsold.

Wormington Manor was the home of the internationally renowned interior decorator Christopher Rowley, who died in April.

The sale included his private collection of English and continental furniture, clocks and watches, European and Oriental ceramics and glass, silver and vertu, textiles and carpets.

He was particularly proud of his illustrious ancestors and a number of items in the sale related to his family.

Some of the highlights were a portrait of George Rowley and sisters Mary and Charlotte, estimated to be sold for less than £12,000 and for which an American dealer paid £28,800.

A private buyer from France paid £19,200 for a set of four George I style giltwood chairs estimated between £4,000 and £6,000.

A British buyer paid £26,400 for a full-length portrait of Elizabeth Rowley, estimated to fetch between £8,000 and £12,000, which was an auction record for artist George Sanders.

Sotheby's deputy chairman James Miller said: "As usual it is a delight to return to Gloucestershire to such a welcoming audience. The sale was extremely well viewed and attracted almost 3,000 visitors over the weekend. The auction took place in a packed saleroom, attracting interest from local and international buyers, who bid both in the room and via the telephone."