Plymouth Auction Rooms Delivers Exceptional Results in a Standout Year

Strong prices for Beryl Cook, Kutchinsky jewellery, gold and estate collections drive 2026 results

 Plymouth Auction Rooms has reported one of its most successful years in the past three decades, with robust demand across fine art, antiques, jewellery, and collectables.

Over the course of the year, more than 6,500 lots were offered for sale, attracting thousands of bidders both online and in the saleroom from across the West Country and further afield. Over 244 lots each sold for over £1,000.

The year opened with a notable result for a Beryl Cook painting of Sailors, which sold for £20,000, alongside a South Hams collection of Kutchinsky jewellery, which realised over £70,000. Strong results continued throughout the year across multiple categories. Among the highlights was a pair of antique drop earrings, which achieved £11,000 from a London bidder.

May proved particularly significant, with the sale of two major estate collections from well-known figures in the antiques trade. The Nigel Trevelyan Collection, belonging to the former Devon auctioneer, was brought to auction from The Lizard, West Cornwall and produced results that were well received by the family.

This was followed by the dispersal of the Tony Martin Collection, an extensive collection of antiques and works of art from the estate of the late Looe-based dealer. The auction attracted international interest, with strong prices for Beryl Cook artworks, Clarice Cliff porcelain, rare English ceramics, and other specialist items. Total sales from the collection exceeded £385,000.

Individual highlights included Henry Scott Tuke’s Facing South, which sold to a European buyer for £32,500, and four paintings by Harold Harvey, which together realised more than £70,000.

One of the most distinctive lots of the year was a rare Royal Worcester Aesthetic Movement teapot and cover, double-sided and satirically modelled on Oscar Wilde and the Aesthetic Movement. The piece sold for £5,200, five times its pre-sale estimate.

Commenting on the year, auctioneer Paul Keen says

“Our team may be small, but they are highly experienced, trusted and dedicated. These results reflect their knowledge, commitment, and careful cataloguing throughout the year.”

Looking ahead, Plymouth Auction Rooms has confirmed that a fine jewellery collection will be offered in its 28 January sale, alongside two rare Beryl Cook paintings, coming up in the Spring, including one titled Noah’s Ark.