An eclectic collection of nearly 100 cement animal sculptures, known as the Branxton Cement Menagerie, was sold at auction last week, drawing strong interest from bidders across the United Kingdom and France. The menagerie, once a unique visitor attraction in the Northumberland village of Branxton, included a variety of wildlife figures alongside representations of historical personalities such as Winston Churchill.

The sculptures were originally created by John Fairnington, a retired joiner, who began crafting the figures in 1961 to provide entertainment for his disabled son. Over time, the array of figures expanded, filling the garden of Fountain House and becoming a notable example of British folk art.

The auction, conducted by Wooler-based auctioneer Jim Railton, saw the collection fetch a total of approximately £28,000. A life-size giraffe, initially valued at £80 to £120, sold for £1,800, matching the price fetched by a lion with glass eyes, which had an estimate of £100 to £180. Other highlights included a figure of a man wearing a tin hat, sold for £1,500; a zebra at £750; a wild boar at £980; a pig for £900; and two seals that sold for £950, despite an estimate of £50 to £80. Additional sales comprised five sheep (£500), a bull (£190), a tapir (£480), a mare and foal (£300), and three tortoises (£180). The Churchill figure was purchased for £200.

Jim Railton described the event as “whacky” and noted the auction attracted considerable attention, including from those who had visited the menagerie in its earlier days and sought to acquire a piece of its history. He expressed satisfaction at finding new homes for the animals, emphasizing the uniqueness of the collection, which transformed a private garden into an extraordinary folk art display.

The menagerie had previously been part of the contents of Ayton Castle, located in Berwickshire. The castle’s owners acquired the figures in 2021 before selling the 17-bedroom mansion, which was listed for £3.25 million, to comedian Alan Carr. The property and its transformation will be featured in an upcoming Disney+ series titled Castle Man.

Alongside the menagerie, other castle contents were auctioned in approximately 400 lots, raising close to £100,000. Noteworthy sales included an Edwardian framed photograph showing over 200 members of the House of Lords in ermine capes (£210), a Victorian mahogany case of taxidermy birds (£700, exceeding a £100-£150 estimate), a Victorian turnip slicing machine (£140), and 38 bamboo garden oil torches (£35).

Ayton Castle itself, a Scots Baronial-style structure known for its turrets, battlements, and romantic medieval aesthetic, was constructed between 1845 and 1851 by architect James Gillespie Graham. It succeeded an earlier classical country house that was destroyed by fire in 1834. The estate had been purchased shortly afterward by William Mitchell Innes, a banker affiliated with the Royal Bank of Scotland, who commissioned the current building.