‘Phenomenal’: Auction to save Beverley churches raises nearly £39,000
UNDER THREAT Beverley Minster
By Simon Bristow
An auction to raise money for the preservation and upkeep of Beverley Minster and St Mary’s Church in Beverley has raised nearly £39,000.
More than 200 ancient and historic artefacts went under the hammer on Saturday as part of the Two Churches One Town campaign, which aims to raise £20m over the next ten years to prevent the churches falling into disrepair.
Organisers have hailed its “unbelievable success” after the sale achieved just under £39,000.
Despite global interest in the auction, run by Caroline Hawley, a regular presenter on TV’s Bargain Hunt, all the sold items went to bidders in the UK.
They included:
Twenty stone pinnacles from the Minster – £15,720
Brass lights from the Minster – over £1,700
19th-century hand cart – £1,000
Fourteen 9th-century oak pews from St Mary’s – over £3,000
The sale also featured items donated by the public, including:
Walnut longcase clock – £1,000
Omega wristwatch – £650,
A 9- carat gold pocket watch – £500
Silver coffee pot – £500
Martin Needler, former chair of the Beverley Minster Old Fund, who came up with the idea of the auction, said: “Wow what can I say? To raise nearly £39,000 was absolutely unbelievable. Never did I think that a little idea of – ‘What can we do with all this stuff in the workshop yard?’ –- would turn into such a successful event.
“Our excellent auctioneer Caroline Hawley was on her feet for over three hours. I cannot thank her and the Hawley’s team enough for all the fantastic work they have done. I have had a really great experience working with them all and raising so much money for the cause.
“Plus all the publicity and international awareness the auction has created for both The Minster and St Mary’s, and the Two Churches One Town charity, has been phenomenal.”
Tim Carlisle, chairman of the Two Churches One Town charity, said: “We’ve got two gothic churches that are famous in Europe and considered to be the best of that build. What nobody wants is the nightmare scenario of having to close these buildings because they’re unsafe.
“If we do nothing their survival is in danger. Over the next ten years we need to raise millions of pounds to repair crumbling stonework, large failing stained-glass windows and leaking roofs, in addition to day-to-day maintenance.”
Caroline has agreed that people can still donate to the charity by submitting items to Hawley’s Auctioneers for a special section in their future auctions.
The next is on September 9 and 10 at Beverley Racecourse, which may be filmed for Bargain Hunt. Anyone with potential items can contact Hawley’s via email: info@hawleys.info or call 01482 868193.