Unwanted items from Alan Carr's castle head to auction

Hundreds of items deemed surplus by comedian Alan Carr and the former owners of Ayton Castle in the Scottish Borders are heading to auction. Carr, known for his television work and winner of "The Celebrity Traitors," recently purchased the historic castle for over £3.25 million.

Among the items up for bid is a collection of more than 90 lots from the "cement menagerie." These are folk art sculptures created in the 1960s by a retired joiner in Northumberland for his disabled son. What began as a personal project evolved into a popular visitor attraction before being sold and relocated to Ayton Castle in 2021.

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Basically it's the residual contents of Ayton Castle. Alan Carr, as we know, has bought the castle and he's bought a certain amount of the furnishings. But the residual items that he doesn't want - and that the last owners of the castle don't want to take to their new house - we're selling.

The auction, managed by Railtons Auctioneers, will feature over 400 lots in total, including paintings, furniture, and textiles. The event is scheduled for Sunday, July 5, with viewing days on Friday, July 3, and Saturday, July 4. Tickets are required for both viewing and the auction itself. While most items are expected to fetch modest sums, a 2011 Bentley Mulsanne with low mileage is also listed, with an estimated sale price between £20,000 and £30,000.

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It's naive art. It was created by a retired joiner for his disabled son and it was a well-known visitor attraction in Branxton. People came from far and wide to visit it in Branxton and the whole lot was bought by the previous owners of Ayton Castle.