Mitchells' latest antiques and fine art sale had lots of surprises with many of the top-selling items greatly exceeding their estimates.

The highest selling item in last week's sale in the Cockermouth auction house was a 19th century oil on canvas painting of a Venetian canal scene. It was indistinctly signed and had an estimate of £300-£500. The painting eventually sold for £8,400 to a telephone bidder.

The second most valuable lot in the sale, a George I walnut and pollard oak side table with a marble top exceeded its £2,000-£3,000 estimate selling for £7,300.

Also in the furniture, a four poster bed with a gilt painted moulded wooden cornice, turned bed pillars and panelled headboard, sailed past its £400-£800 estimate to achieve a hammer price of £4,400.

A fine George III mahogany Channel Islands tallboy sold for £2,100.

Ten green glazed tiles by the Arts and Crafts artist William de Morgan (1839-1917) had been expected to make between £300-£500 but salegoers were stunned as the price continued to rise, finally achieving a hammer price of £5,600 making it the third most valuable lot in the sale.

Amongst the wide variety of modern art featured in this sale, screen prints by the artist John Piper (1903-1992) did particularly well with an artist’s proof screen print with provenance from 1986 titled ‘Stansfield’ selling for £2,600.

A painting by Alexander Millar (born 1960) ‘Two Gadgies mending a pram’, Lot 904, sold for £3,200.

The auction also featured some interesting studio pottery including an unusual porcelain teapot by Nicholas Homoky titled ‘Number 18 Idea for Double Lidded Teapot’, which achieved a hammer price of £980.

Of local interest was a private collection of pastel pictures on mining themes by the former miner turned artist Ron Gribbons who was born in Tyneside but ended his years in Whitehaven. A picture of ‘Haig Pit’ in Whitehaven made £100 and the whole collection of 17 lots dating from the 50s through to the 90s totalled £4,330.

Mitchells next Antiques and Fine Art Sale will be on Thursday, August 30 and Friday, September 1.