Sir William and Lady McAlpine’s eclectic collection of art and antiques is set to be auctioned, with the sale scheduled for 12 August 2026 at Dreweatts in Newbury, Berkshire.
From a steam locomotive to a private menagerie
The most famous piece in the lot is the painting of the Flying Scotsman by Terence Cuneo, a work that helped popularise the locomotive in postcards and jigsaw puzzles. The actual locomotive, rescued by Sir William in the 1970s after a stint in California, never made it to the family’s Fawley Hill estate. Instead, it returned to the UK via the Panama Canal and now resides at the National Railway Museum in York.
The estate, described by Country Life as “the most bonkers estate in Britain,” also housed a private menagerie with around two dozen species, including a zebra that once escaped to the Henley River during a school play of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The collection extended to oddities such as a Victorian leather clip holding a lock of the Duke of Wellington’s hair and a dried flower supposedly taken from Napoleon’s grave on St Helena.
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The estate also featured salvaged iron columns from St Pancras Station—originally intended as a half‑dozen, but 42 arrived, earning the nickname “Ironhenge” from Lady McAlpine. A Midland Railway signal box from Burton upon Trent and a footbridge from the Isle of Wight were part of the broader assemblage, alongside an entire station from Somersham reconstructed on the grounds.
Collectors will compete fiercely.
Claude Muncaster’s maritime paintings, depicting “boats and angry seas,” are also slated for sale, as are works by David Shepherd, a family friend known for restoring steam locomotives. The auction house’s director, Joe Robinson, described the collection as “a serious and purposeful philosophy of collecting,” noting that the items will be dispersed to owners who appreciate their history.
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Sir William’s own words echo in the proceedings: “Don’t give stuff to museums to hide in their storerooms; sell to people who want to own a bit of history and will care for it.” Lady McAlpine concurs, emphasizing the desire for the pieces to find attentive custodians.
While the auction includes a range of objects—from 18th‑century pine paneling to theatrical backdrops by Oliver Messel—the focus remains on items that reflect the McAlpines’ unique blend of industrial heritage and personal whimsy. Bidders will encounter a mix of historic significance and eccentric charm, a combination that has defined the estate’s reputation for decades.
