Unwanted items – including a 'concrete menagerie' go under the hammer

More than 400 unwanted items from the Scottish castle Alan Carr bought are being auctioned off.

The lots include a selection of more than 90 items from a 'cement menagerie', comprising painted sculptures of animals, historical figures and rural scenes.

The comic bought Ayton Castle in the Scottish Borders after winning Celebrity Traitors, with his efforts to revamp it set to be charted in an Apple TV series. The castle was on the market for offers over £3.25million - though it has been revealed this weekend that the exact price he paid will remain under wraps.

Land registry documents list the details of the sale as an ‘implementation of missives’ – a Scottish legal loophole used to keep the price from public records – The Sun reported yesterday.

Items that neither he nor the castle's former owners want will be going under the hammer on Sunday. Such is the interest that potential buyers needed to buy a ticket if they wanted to attend a viewing on either Friday and Saturday - which immediately sold out.  

The Branxton Cement Menagerie was created by a retired joiner in the 1960s to entertain his disabled son and grew to include  200 items. Originally based in Northumberland, it moved to Ayton Castle’s 160-acre estate in 2021. 

Other items going under the hammer include a five-seater 2011 Bentley Mulsanne with just over 40,000 miles on the clock.With an estimate of £20,000 to £30,000, it is likely to be the most expensive item at the sale. 

The sale is being conducted by Railtons auctioneers and the full details are available on their website.

It has previously been reported that Carr is selling his £2.5 million Sussex home to help fund his move to Ayton Castle.

The four-bedroom farmhouse - complete with outdoor swimming pool -  is described by estate agents as 'a country estate of timeless distinction… with origins dating from the 15th and 17th centuries, the house is a masterclass in vernacular architecture.'

Published: 28 Jun 2026