Dreweatts is growing fast, not only is it Britain’s largest regional auctioneers but it has also recently joined forces with Bloomsbury Auctions, which sells more books and works on paper than any auction house in the world.

Today Dreweatts embraces the whole gamut of the auction business, priding itself in its highly successful country house sales. On July 14-15, Dreweatts is staging a two-day extravaganza encompassing the contents of Ropley House, Hampshire as well as various private collections of Old Master paintings, furniture, porcelain and even domestic metalwork.

Dreweatts is kicking off with the first sale of Old Master Paintings ever to be held outside London. A highlight is The Blowing up of the French Commander’s Ship L’Orient at the Battle of the Nile (1798) by John Thomas Serres, maritime painter to George III; the dramatic scene depicts a daring and glorious victory for Nelson (estimated £20,000-30,000).

In contrast is the poetic A Nymph Presiding in the Temple of Immortality by Angelica Kauffman RA, a neoclassical painter favoured by the royal family and befriended by Sir Joshua Reynolds. It is possible that this privately owned painting was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1778 (estimated £12,000-£18,000).

Furniture will undoubtedly attract considerable attention, as high quality examples are in demand internationally and smaller pieces are especially fashionable now. The very attractive George III oval Pembroke table, circa 1780, made of burr yew and sycamore, was a wedding gift to the present owner from the furnishings of Dumfries House in Scotland, which was largely furnished by Thomas Chippendale and other prominent furniture makers (estimated £10,000-£15,000).

Another handsome piece is the 1755 George II giltwood mirror in the manner of Thomas Chippendale. Possibly Irish, it is carved with flowering branches and a Ho-Ho bird (estimated £12,000-£18,000).

An unusual facet of this sale is The Davenport Collection of Early Domestic Metalware. Fascinated by the eccentric beauty and inventiveness, Brian Davenport’s comprehensive collection offers a unique insight into the daily lives of working people from the 18th century onwards.