Dorchester attractions Dorset Museum and Athelhampton House will be offering a range of unique lots at a charity auction this weekend.

The Athelhampton Attic & Charity Auction will be held at Athelhampton House and Gardens, near Dorchester, from 2pm on Saturday, March 25, raising funds for Dorset Museum and the Dorset County Hospital Charity, as well as the historic house itself.

A range of lots will be offered by the Athelhampton House, including furniture and other items, while Dorset Museum will be offering auction-goers the chance to bid on opportunities to see behind the scenes and explore the museum's collections up close.

Fans of the sculptor Elisabeth Frink can bid to explore the museum's Frink collection with expert Annette Ratuszniak, and see rarely-seen works including original plasters held in storage.

Another lot offers the opportunity to become a curator for the afternoon, working alongside the Museum's team and with wide-ranging collections including archaeology and fine art.

Two best-selling authors are offering to host book clubs at the museum.

Tracy Chevalier - author of the Girl with the Pearl Earring - is inviting book clubs to bid to spend an afternoon with her discussing one of her own novels, accompanied by prosecco and a homemade cake, while Joanna Quinn will be offering an exclusive opportunity for a club to discuss her Sunday Times bestseller The Whalebone Theatre with her.

Other lots up for auction include a week's holiday in a cottage in Portesham, a Botanical cocktail evening hosted by Around the World in 80 Plants author Jonathan Drori, a tour of the Little Waddon vineyard, and a meal for two at award-winning restaurant Al Molo in Dorchester.

Giles Keating of Athelhampton said: "After the restoration over the last four years, we've got great furniture, pictures, curtains and garden items that just don't fit the new settings, so we're selling those, plus some wonderful donated lots to support our friends in local charities, Dorchester Hospital Cancer Trust and Dorset Museum."

Items from the house include a fine antique court cupboard, paintings of the Houses of Parliament, curtains that have hung at Athelhampton for many years, cast-iron garden seats, and a door believed to have been used as a prop in the film Sleuth starring Lawrence Olivier and Michael Caine, which was filmed at Athelhampton.

There will also be antique tables, china, silverware and many other items.

Viewings will be held ahead of the auction, between 3pm and 7pm on Friday, March 24 and from 10am to 2pm on Saturday, March 25.

Bidders can also take part online through Easylive.

For more details and to view the auction catalogue, visit https://app.dukes-auctions.com/en/auction/1078-the-athelhampton-attic-charity-sale

Credit lines to be used for the images:

"Fans of the sculptor Elisabeth Frink can bid to explore the Museum's Frink collection with expert Annette Ratuszniak, and see rarely-seen works including original plasters held in storage"

© The Executors of the Frink Estate and Archive. Photo credit: Dorset Museum 2023