Grimsby grocer Herbert Rollett's paintings fetch £4,000 at auction

Rollett's painting of Newsham Bridge, now a Grade I listed structure

Paintings by a Grimsby grocer have sold for almost £4,000, with some in the collection fetching three times more than expected.

Herbert Rollett would rise early to paint before opening up his shop. He went on to become a renowned artist.

After his granddaughter died, more than a dozen works were found covering the walls of her Essex home.

Auctioneer James Laverack said Rollett was a "great advocate for the Lincolnshire countryside".

One of Herbert Rollett's most famous works was Sails on the Humber

Each painting was expected to fetch between £100 and £200, Mr Laverack said.

The painting of Newsham Bridge, in Brocklesby Park, which forms part of the estate of the Earls of Yarborough in West Lindsey, sold for £600, the auctioneer said.

Mr Laverack added: "He thought it [the Lincolnshire countryside] was just as good as the Lake District and Scotland."

Born in 1872 to a Lincolnshire farming family, Rollett was self-taught and only took up painting in his 30s. He showcased his works in local exhibitions as well as art shows across the country. He died in 1932.

The paintings were sold earlier by John Taylors Auctioneers in Louth.