National Trust artefacts burglarized from stately home

Police are searching for thieves who stole a haul of valuable antiques from a National Trust stately home.

thieves Breaking into Montacute House Somerset Avon and Somerset Police said he escaped with items including a 300-year-old silver table ornament late on October 22.

The centerpiece, also known as Epergne, was made by the famous London silversmith Thomas Pitts in the 18th century. Prices for epergnes produced by Pitts can exceed £40,000.

Also stolen were a pair of French Empire candelabra made of luxurious gold-plated bronze called ormolu, as well as several porcelain pieces and a pewter cup from 1850.

Avon and Somerset Police He said officers were reviewing CCTV and speaking to local people as they tried to track down the thieves.

‘The stolen items are of historical importance’

Investigating Officer Dave Pepper said: “The stolen items are historic and we would like to help the National Trust reunite them with them.” “We would like to hear from anyone with information on their whereabouts.”

Montacute House is described as a masterpiece of Elizabethan Renaissance architecture by the National Trust, which purchased the property in 1931.

The mansion was built in 1601 for Sir Edward Phelips, a lawyer and politician who made the opening speech for the prosecution in the Guy Fawkes trial.

‘Sad incident’

Keri Phillips, National Trust Montacute House chief executive said: “This was a very distressing incident for our staff and volunteers.

“The stolen items were a valuable part of the collection, particularly the epergne of extraordinary importance, which was commissioned in the 18th century by Edward Phelips, one of the owners of Montacute House.

“The National Trust takes incidents of this nature extremely seriously and works closely with local police forces to continually review security arrangements at our sites.”

Several scenes in the 1995 film version of Jane Austen’s novel Sense and Sensibility were filmed at the manor house located between Martock and Yeovil.

Like the 2004 movie The Libertine and the BBC’s adaptation of Hilary Mantel’s novel Wolf Hall.

Police are urging anyone with information about this theft or the whereabouts of the items to call 101 or contact them online, quoting crime reference number 5224279138.