Antique sundial worth £100,000 stolen (From Daily Echo)
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Antique sundial worth £100,000 stolen from Avington Park in Itchen Abbas
8:20am Tuesday 23rd August 2011 in Hampshire Heritage
THIS is the antique sundial worth more than £100,000 that was stolen from a Hampshire stately home.
Thieves broke into the grounds of Avington Park, Itchen Abbas, in Winchester and stole the valuable treasure.
The marble and brass piece is thought to be more than 250 years old.
Detective Constable Steve Roman, from Winchester CID, said: “Although this theft happened during the early hours of the morning, it would have needed a number of people with a vehicle to steal it as it is extremely heavy so it may be that someone saw or heard something that can help with our investigation.”
The thieves stole the sundial between midnight and 8.30am while the occupants of the private home were sleeping.
They discovered the rare sundial had stolen in the morning.
Officers have carried out inquiries at the house, which has opened its doors to the public each Sunday and Monday in August.
Now Hampshire police will work with specialist antique crime teams in a bid to recover the precious item.
DC Roman, added: “The item is quite distinctive and it may be that someone has seen it for sale.
If you have any i n fo rmat i o n that can help, please get in touch.”
Anyone with information about the crime on Tuesday, August 9, should contact DC Roman at Winchester police station on 101 or call the Crimestoppers charity anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Avington was first mentioned in the 10th century and originally belonged to the Cathedral of Winchester until King Henry VIII granted the estate to Edmund Clerke, who build the banqueting hall, which is now the orangery.
It was transformed in the late 17C for Charles II to come and stay.
Now the Georgian manor is used for a variety of corporate functions, weddings and other parties and it is even used as a film set.
It features in Ruth Rendell Mysteries, the ITV show Great Country Houses, BBC drama Daniel Deronda and was even featured in The X Factor in the autumn of 2006.
Comments(16)
pod
says...
8:28am Tue 23 Aug 11
Big Mac
says...
8:43am Tue 23 Aug 11
Stillness
says...
9:04am Tue 23 Aug 11
derek james
says...
9:07am Tue 23 Aug 11
Stillness
says...
9:10am Tue 23 Aug 11
derek james wrote:Is that all you've offered him? lol.
things that valuable should.nt be left in the garden, in reality the thief will be lucky to get 2 grand for something that hot
SouthamptonLegend
says...
10:01am Tue 23 Aug 11
derek james wrote:Let's not forget this is a stately home! Not sure many people would want to keep a sundial indoors.......
things that valuable should.nt be left in the garden, in reality the thief will be lucky to get 2 grand for something that hot
Duckorange
says...
12:03pm Tue 23 Aug 11
Buckitdown wrote:Offender spends rest of their life on disability benefits. Not so simples.
Catch thief, sever tendons at the back of their legs. They won't do it again and will discourage others from similar activity. Simples.
Buckitdown
says...
12:22pm Tue 23 Aug 11
Duckorange wrote:Offender will spend life on benefits regardless. After lifting that sundial possibly disability benefits.
Buckitdown wrote:Offender spends rest of their life on disability benefits. Not so simples.
Catch thief, sever tendons at the back of their legs. They won't do it again and will discourage others from similar activity. Simples.
townieboy
says...
1:00pm Tue 23 Aug 11
Georgem
says...
2:10pm Tue 23 Aug 11
My View From Here wrote:It rained today, for maybe the fourth time in several months, and you translate that to "we don't have sunshine any more"? Really?
Looking the weather they will have a hard job flogging it, not much call for a sundial lately.
Georgem
says...
2:12pm Tue 23 Aug 11
Buckitdown wrote:Evidence that offender is on benefits, please. People with jobs commit crimes too, you know.
Duckorange wrote:Offender will spend life on benefits regardless. After lifting that sundial possibly disability benefits.
Buckitdown wrote:Offender spends rest of their life on disability benefits. Not so simples.
Catch thief, sever tendons at the back of their legs. They won't do it again and will discourage others from similar activity. Simples.
Stillness
says...
2:50pm Tue 23 Aug 11
Georgem wrote:But most people with a job want to keepit, not loose it due to being in jail.
Buckitdown wrote:Evidence that offender is on benefits, please. People with jobs commit crimes too, you know.
Duckorange wrote:Offender will spend life on benefits regardless. After lifting that sundial possibly disability benefits.
Buckitdown wrote:Offender spends rest of their life on disability benefits. Not so simples.
Catch thief, sever tendons at the back of their legs. They won't do it again and will discourage others from similar activity. Simples.
captain_chaos
says...
3:17pm Tue 23 Aug 11
Linesman
says...
3:44pm Tue 23 Aug 11
You can get a reliable, digital watch with an illuminated face for a fiver and, and you can tell the time in the dark.
My View From Here
says...
4:03pm Tue 23 Aug 11
Georgem wrote:Get a grip Georgem, it was a tongue in cheek comment not meant to be a serious.
My View From Here wrote:It rained today, for maybe the fourth time in several months, and you translate that to "we don't have sunshine any more"? Really?
Looking the weather they will have a hard job flogging it, not much call for a sundial lately.
Where have you been living this month, certainly not locally
Michael Fish has nothing on you does he.
My View From Here says...
8:26am Tue 23 Aug 11