A Phenomenal Sale: Horse-Drawn Carriages Results


June 2026

Our recent sale of historic horse-drawn carriages and traditional appointments, held at Duggleby Stephenson in York, brought a rare opportunity to acquire pieces from one of the largest private collections of its type in the UK. Carefully selected carriages, many with prior use in television and film, were offered alongside equestrian memorabilia, harness, lamps and appointments, drawing interest from collectors around the world.

In the lead up to the sale, coverage spread across Horse & Carriage magazine, The Yorkshire Post, In Your Area, The BBC, Yahoo News, Darlington and Stockton Times and The Northern Echo, while the auction went viral on Facebook, shared widely across carriage themed groups and by prominent voices in the equestrian community. 

The York saleroom was busy throughout the viewing days and on the morning of the sale itself bids came in non-stop from the early morning. The result was nothing short of phenomenal, with bidders joining from across the world and 93% of all lots finding buyers.

This was a big sale and we are sharing some of the most interesting results below.

Carriages of Distinction
The carriage section opened with three exceptional and very different vehicles. An exceptionally decorative late Victorian advertising trade dray, built by J. Herring of Hartlepool in 1895 and renovated by C. Herring in 1975, finished in cream and maroon livery with hand painted signwriting, sold for £21,000. A roof seat break by Shanks of London, with elevated driver's and groom's seats and stamped wheel hubs, achieved an outstanding £33,000. A Victorian glass hearse, with extensively glazed coffin compartment and gilt cresting, marked for The Economic Funeral Co, sold for £7,800.

The Sound of the Road
Coaching horns offered a smaller but no less competitive section of the sale. A 1930s Boosey & Hawkes silver plated sectional coaching horn sold for £2,000. A Victorian Kohler & Son silver plated and copper coaching horn, stamped with the maker's mark, sold for £1,600, matched by a late Victorian Boosey & Co. sectional coaching horn with associated leather sleeve case, also achieving £1,600.

On Screen and On the Road
Two further carriages brought their own stories to the saleroom, including one with genuine screen history. A Town Coach by John Marston's Carriage Works of Birmingham, featured on the set of the television series Victoria starring Jenna Coleman, sold for £6,400. A demi mail phaeton by Henry Whitlock of London, with red painted running gear and full elliptical spring suspension, sold for £9,600.

Topped Off in Style
Hat related lots brought a touch of personality to proceedings. A collection of six Victorian and later top hats, including two dressage hats by makers such as Moss Bros, Thomas Townsend, Lincoln Bennet and Simpson, sold for £1,000. A 20th century wooden hat stretcher sold for £380, while a Christy's London grey bowler hat together with two further grey top hats sold for £4,000.

Harness Fit for the Road
Harness lots demonstrated the depth of the collection beyond the carriages themselves. A John McDonald team set of black leather and brass harness, including four patent leather collars with hames, pads and bridles, sold for £7,800. A & H Green of Loughborough brown leather pony harness, with brass detail to the brow band and blinkers, sold for £1,700.

Carriages in Art and Advertising
Carriages found their way into art and advertising too, with strong results throughout. Henry William Standing's watercolour Carriage and Two sold for £1,600. A Victorian scratch built advertising model for Vin Powell of Upper Norwood, by George Ivory and dated 1896, modelled as a horse drawn delivery wagon laden with greengrocers' wares within a glazed display case, sold for £1,800. A further Standing watercolour, Carriage and Two, with a lady and gentleman, sold for £2,200.

Lighting the Way
Lamps and timepieces brought the sale to a close with results that reflected genuine rarity. A pair of Holland & Holland toleware and white metal carriage lamps sold for £4,000. A Victorian black toleware triple footboard carriage lamp sold for £1,800. A gig dashboard clock in a plated case with outer leather travelling case sold for £800, and an unusual early Victorian mail coach clock, inscribed for John Walker of London and associated with Baron Rothschild's address at 148 Piccadilly, sold for £2,000.

A Sale That Captured the World's Attention


This was a sale that reached far beyond the saleroom in York. With national press coverage, viral moments on Facebook, and bidders joining from across the world, it was a fitting send-off for one of the largest private collections of its type in the UK. 

Click below to view the full results and discover everything else that found a new home.
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