Hundreds of antiques from a famous mansion are going under the hammer after its eccentric owner went into care.
The Jacobean country house Plas Teg is reputed to be one of the UK’s most haunted properties.
It was built by Sir John Trevor in 1610 and is said to be home to more than 15 spirits.
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It has been host to several creepy TV shows including Ghost Hunting with Girls Aloud.
The Welsh home was bought in a state of complete disrepair in 1986 by antiques dealer Cornelia Bayley.
She paid £75,000 for the extensive property in Pontblyddyn, Flintshire, north Wales – close to Wrexham
And after spending around £200,000 on restoration, she tried to maintain it by hosting paranormal evenings to raise funds.
She often lived with little heating and washed infrequently as the boiler was broken and she could not afford hot water.
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And in a 2013 episode of Channel 4’s Obsessive Compulsive Cleaners she revealed her bedding, reported to be a century old, had never been cleaned.
In 2021 a GoFundMe appeal was launched for a further £5,000 to help pay for urgent roof repairs and timber treatment.
The total costs were estimated to be in excess of £10,000, as reported by What’s The Jam.
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Now auctioneers Rogers Jones & Co have been chosen to remove and sell the contents of the mansion.
Ben Rogers Jones of Rogers Jones & Co said: “Already there has been significant interest in the forthcoming auctions from Wales and around the world.
“The contents of the house are being auctioned by us to help with care costs.
“If there was ever a time to show support then this would be by bidding for a Plas Teg memento in one of the forthcoming auctions.
“And for those who are interested in bidding on items from Plas Teg it would be a good idea to keep updated with our website in the next two months or so.
“As some items will be offered in our regular auctions at our Colwyn Bay saleroom, starting on January 21 with a few items of ceramics and is online and ready for bids now.
“The date of the main auction for the principal items will be announced in due course.”
Tales of spooky goings-on at the mansion have attracted ghost hunters from across the world.
Ben Rogers Jones added: “I was warned about the scale and nature of the task before visiting Plas Teg for the first time, but it was no preparation – I was truly gob-smacked.
“Room after room packed full of period furniture, interesting sculpture, ceramics and all manner of curios.
“The antiques did not stop inside the house either, extending to the garden with impressive statues and fine garden ornaments.
“These are the sort of jobs that come around once in a blue moon and are rarely forgotten.
“Most definitely a once in a generation house clearance.”
Bargain Hunt expert Richard Madley was asked by Rogers Jones to give an independent assessment of Plas Teg’s contents.
He said: “Entering the historic house was one of the most extraordinary experiences of my long career.
“I was stunned by the amount of ambience of the surroundings and the range of the furnishings.
“Carved marble throne chairs from Hyderabad sat alongside high-style Regency furniture and carpets from the Orient.
“I envied the reference library and imagined how some sensitive restoration could bring these treasures back to life.’’
The collection includes an extensive array of antique ceramics, including numerous items of Bordallo Pinheiro cabbage crockery.
These will be offered across various Rogers Jones auctions, starting on January 21.
The rest of Cornelia’s antiques and furnishings will be sold at a one-off auction at a date to be confirmed.
This will include paintings, period clothes, antique books and a Victorian canopy bath.
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