A remarkably rare medieval chest, once owned by the influential Hungerford family and long kept at their ancestral home, Farleigh Castle in Somerset, is now going up for auction with an estimated value between £8,000 and £12,000.
David Houlson, Oak Furniture Consultant for Woolley and Wallis auctioneers, explains the significance of the piece: “Dating back to around 1480, this chest is an exceptionally rare survivor from the 15th century. It retains not only its front but also its original sides, back, and lid—elements that nearly always perish over time.”
Such pieces are rarely seen complete, especially outside religious settings or museum collections. Houlson adds, “Comparable chests are almost exclusively found in churches or preserved by museums and prestigious collectors. To encounter one intact on the open market is virtually unprecedented—a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own over 500 years of history.”
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The chest belonged to the Hungerford family, a powerful landowning dynasty dominating Somerset’s political, military, and social spheres from the late 14th century through the 17th century. Farleigh Castle was their imposing family seat. Notable family members include Sir Thomas Hungerford, the first recorded Speaker of the House of Commons, and his son Walter, the 1st Lord Hungerford, who served as Treasurer of England.
Despite their prominence, later Hungerford generations became mired in scandal and financial ruin, leading to the castle’s sale in 1686. Nonetheless, the Hungerford legacy remains a defining part of West Country history.
Experts have identified this chest as part of a distinctive group of intricately decorated furniture pieces originating near Lincoln, with surviving examples found in churches across Glentham, Fillingham, and Ewerby. A similar chest housed at the Victoria and Albert Museum was sourced from a farmhouse near Stamford, Lincolnshire. Furniture historian R.W. Symonds theorizes that many of these chests were crafted in a single workshop located in Watford, Northamptonshire.
This extraordinary medieval chest offers not only a tangible link to a significant English family and historic period but also showcases the exceptional craftsmanship of the late 15th century.