Contents of Great Witchingham House to sell

Selected contents of Great Witchingham House, a Georgian rectory in North Norfolk, once owned by former Design Director of Leather Goods at Louis Vuitton, Nicholas Knightly, will go under the hammer online at Bonhams this summer.

The sale, which includes works of art, furniture, and decorative items, will run from June 19 to July 3.

Great Witchingham House in Norfolk

Highlights of the collection include:

  • John Russell RA (Guildford 1745-1806 Hull), Portrait of Miss S. D. Chambers, full-length, in a white dress, seated with a dog, in a landscape. Estimate: £8,000 – 12,000.
  • Thomas Mogford (British, 1800-1868), A prize Devon bull in a farmyard; and A prize Devon cow in a landscape (2). Estimate: £5,000 – 8,000.
  • A large George II carved giltwood and cut-gesso mirror. Estimate: £4,000 – £6,000.
  • A hippopotamus skull (hippopotamus amphibious), Late 19th / early 20th century. Estimate: £800 – £1,200.

Nicolas Knightly held the role of Design Director of Leather Goods at Louis Vuitton for 16 years. Prior to that he spent two years as Creative Director of Mulberry, where he designed the famous ‘Bayswater’ bag. The ‘Neverfull’ bag designed for Louis Vuitton has been described as ‘near-definitive, even unbeatable, tote.’

Nathaniel Hone R.A. (Dublin 1718-1784 London) Portrait of a gentleman, bust-length in a blue coat with red collar
Nathaniel Hone R.A. (Dublin 1718-1784 London) Portrait of a gentleman, bust-length in a blue coat with red collar. Estimate £4,000-6,000

He bought the house in the early 2000s and with the help of architect Ptolemy Dean, he set out to return Great Witchingham House to its former glory. The Georgian rectory, which retains a lot of original features, was built by a church in a small village in North Norfolk in the 1780s. The only renovations to the house since then had come in the 1830s, when the then new rector re-developed and enlarged the property. Nicholas Knightly spent four years decorating and furnishing his new home, collaborating with top fine art and antique dealers such as Will Fisher at Jamb, Humphrey Currasco, Max Rollit, Christopher Howe and Philip Mould, as well as sourcing from famous country house auctions.

John Russell RA (Guildford 1745-1806 Hull) Portrait of Miss S. D. Chambers, full-length, in a white dress, seated with a dog, in a landscape
John Russell RA (Guildford 1745-1806 Hull) Portrait of Miss S. D. Chambers, full-length, in a white dress, seated with a dog, in a landscape. Estimate £12,000-18,000

Will Fisher, founder of Jamb, said: “There are high points in everyone’s career and for Charlotte and I working alongside Nicholas has to be one of them. Not only being involved in his process of restoring Great Witchingham House, which he had just purchased, but to be a part of his creative journey and the immaculate loving conservation he undertook over many years. His extraordinary talent that had been revealed in the fashion world, was effortlessly translated into his understanding of interior design. The views the vistas, the palette that he created punctuated with carefully chosen artefacts and furniture.”

Ptolemy Dean commented: “The former Rectory at Great Witchingham was largely created in the 1780s, when late-Georgian architectural ambitions were at their most refined and elegant. The principle rooms were in many ways perfectly proportioned and lit by handsome sash windows which offered wonderful natural light. Nicholas Knightly took supreme care to cherish these qualities of the building, decorating the rooms and carefully assembling furnishings that would be worthy of the house, mutually enhancing the quality of both”.

Thomas Mogford (British, 1800-1868) A prize Devon bull in a farmyard; and A prize Devon cow in a landscape
Thomas Mogford (British, 1800-1868) A prize Devon bull in a farmyard; and A prize Devon cow in a landscape. Estimate £5,000-8,000

Charlie Thomas, UK Group Director for House Sales and Private & Iconic Collections at Bonhams, commented: “Nicholas Knightly has an exceptional eye for style, clearly honed throughout his career designing for some of the world’s largest fashion and luxury leather goods brands. This is reflected in items he carefully chose to furnish and decorate Great Witchingham House, creating an elegant and refined interior which paid homage to the origins of the house. We couldn’t be more delighted to be able to offer a selection of these wonderful pieces, all which celebrate the very best of the English county house aesthetic.”