Originally built by J Herring of Hartlepool, the cart was later renovated in 1975 by C. Herring & Son, Iron & Steel Processors, Hartlepool, as says the painted inscription on its sides.
The carriage was expected to fetch £3,500 but, after a ferocious bidding battle, it actually went for £21,000, won by an unnamed collector, who apparently lives just 40 miles from where it was built.
The cart was part of the auction of one of the country’s most outstanding private collections of historic horse-drawn carriages, which went under the hammer at Duggleby Stephenson auctioneers in York.
With bidding coming in from all over the world – including Europe, the USA and South America – the auction achieved a total of more than £200,000 for the 29 vehicles.
Duggleby Stephenson Managing Director, Will Duggleby, said: “It was absolutely epic – one of the best single-owner auctions we’ve ever seen at our York saleroom. It was a very special collection, brought together over a period of about a quarter of a century.”
He added: “We had people from all over the country, Devon, the South Coast and the North West, travelling to York to attend the viewing sessions. In addition to that, we had people registering to bid from people in the Netherlands, France, Germany, Spain, the United States and, of course, South America.”
If any readers know the history of the cart, or indeed the mystery buyer, then please get in touch with us here at Hartlepool Life.
