Antiques Roadshow's Henry Sandon auctions private collection

Henry Sandon said he was ready for his pots to find new homes

The private collection of Worcester antiques expert Henry Sandon has gone under the hammer.

Estimated to have raised about £50,000 at auction, some pieces dated as far back as 100BC and also included his treasured Royal Worcester pottery.

As a former Antiques Roadshow ceramics expert, he started the collection after finding broken plates in his garden by the city's cathedral.

The sale took place at Chorley's Auction House, Gloucester, earlier.

This Royal Worcester vase by Harry Davis (1885-1970) sold at auction for £3,000

The collection included a cup and saucer made for the Royal Household in 1953 to commemorate the coronation of the late Queen Elizabeth II, as well four plates made to celebrate her wedding.

With some bids as low as £30, a Chinese provincial cinerary urn from the Yuan dynasty sold for £50, while a Royal Worcester vase by Harry Davis went under the hammer for £3,000.

Sandon was appointed curator of the Dyson Perrins Museum at the Royal Worcester Factory in 1967, a position he held for 15 years and one that changed his life.

Two French faience models of violins from the 19th Century sold for £220

He went on to lecture at Birmingham University before his first television appearances on Going for a Song and Arthur Negus Enjoys.

He joined BBC One's Antiques Roadshow in 1979.

The 94-year-old said: "I discovered ceramics everywhere. I dug up Roman and medieval pots in my garden and was captivated by their history."

Some pieces were linked to the Royal Household

Consultant specialist Simon Chorley told BBC Hereford and Worcester: "Henry's house was unbelievable, every shelf, every nook, every cranny was decorated with pots on top of all the cupboards in the kitchen.

"They meant so much to him, every single pot had a story and a bit of history behind it."