Police have launched a manhunt after a hoard of 25 antiques were stolen from a National Trust stately home in Warwickshire.
The objects, made from silver, pewter and brass, were stolen from Baddesley Clinton in the early hours of July 30.
The moated manor house sits in the Forest of Arden and served as the historic seat of the Ferrers family for more than four centuries.
Warwickshire Police are seeking the public’s help in identifying those responsible for the raid.
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Among the haul was a silver stirrup cup shaped like a fox, and a pair of candelabra.
The Grade I-listed property was shut for two days following the break-in, though its grounds stayed open to visitors.
The most notable piece taken was a Georgian silver salver engraved with the Ferrers family coat of arms.
The flat plate bears the mark of Dorothy Mills, one of just a handful of registered female silversmiths working in the 1700s.
The National Trust believes it was the sole example of Mills’s work held in any publicly accessible UK collection.
Her mark’s discovery “has rewritten the story of the silver collection at Baddesley Clinton”, the Trust said.
The ornate six-sided plate had been kept in storage before being placed on display in February.
When it was made in the 1750s, it would have cost roughly £12 – about twice a housemaid’s yearly wage.
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Its current estimated value stands at around £2,300.
Ann Ryan, the National Trust’s operations manager for Baddesley Clinton, said: “This has been a very upsetting incident for our staff and volunteers, and we appreciate the support shared by visitors and members of the public on social media.
“The collection items that have been taken are important to Baddesley, especially the Georgian silver salver, which is engraved with the Ferrers family’s arms.
“Given its distinctive markings this piece in particular may be identified if offered for sale. We very much hope the objects will be returned, so they can be enjoyed by everyone.”
She also stressed that the Trust “takes these incidents very seriously” and continually reviews its security measures in coordination with local police.
The Ferrers family first took up residence at Baddesley Clinton in the late 1500s and remained there until 1980, when the National Trust acquired the property.
During the 1590s, the house served as a refuge for persecuted Catholics hiding from priest hunters.
Its gardens featured in a 1986 ITV Sherlock Holmes episode, and the BBC filmed Antiques Roadshow there in 2016.
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