Auction House West of England will hold its first out-of-town auction at Thornbury Castle, once home to Henry Stafford, the second Duke of Buckingham who helped to place Richard III on the throne.

The king, whose skeleton was excavated from a Leicester car park and positively identified earlier this year, rewarded Stafford by making him Constable of England.

“We chose Thornbury Castle for our auctions because it is easily accessible from all parts of the region, has ample free parking and, for those who might need it, a helicopter landing pad,” said auctioneer Nick Cragg.

Cragg, who is chairman of the board of directors of Auction House (West of England) – part of the leading national network of residential and commercial property auctioneers – is based in the Chipping Sodbury office of chartered surveyors Country Property.

He added: “In addition to significant numbers of local sellers, our auctions attract buyers from across the country. This is because the Auction House concept combines the benefits of national exposure of the properties for sale – through our UK network and website – with the use of easily accessible regional auction rooms.”