Duke's, the leading Auctioneers and Valuers, have moved to a state of the art auction complex in the heart of the county town.
The auctioneers, who are one of Dorset's oldest businesses (established in 1823), have redeveloped a large redundant office building, formerly known as Pullman Court, which is immediately adjacent to the vibrant new Brewery Square development.
The fantastic new premises boasts over 15,000 sqft of space and benefits from ample on-site parking, an impressive reception area and offices, exhibition space, auction galleries, secure storage and catering facilities.
Externally the building has been given a face lift to improve its appearance and give it a contemporary edge, which harmonises with Brewery Square and the locality. The streetscape has been further enhanced with landscaping by a Chelsea Flower Show gold medal winner and features imaginative under-lit planting and mature trees.
The transformation of Pullman Court and the creation of a new arts hub has received widespread plaudits. Downing Street are known to be keeping a close eye on schemes which help rebalance the economy and create employment opportunities. Cabinet Minister and West Dorset MP, Oliver Letwin commented:
"I was delighted to hear of these plans to bring an old redundant office building back to life. This is great news for Dorchester!"
The scheme has also won approval from the Head of Development at Poundbury. Simon Conibear commented:
"We see this as a continuation of the renaissance of the county town."
Former CEO of Eldridge Pope , Jeremy Pope JP OBE , who is a trustee at the Bovington Tank Museum and The Jurassic Coast Trust commented:
I am delighted to learn of Dukes expansion which is certain to have a positive impact on the local economy".
Lord Fellowes of West Stafford (otherwise known as Julian Fellowes, the Oscar winning playwright and author) commented:
"We are so pleased that Duke's have expanded into the Brewery Square development. It is already our favourite place to search for works of art and knick-knacks alike, so this can only bring more opportunities to find buried treasure. It is good news for Dorchester and for us. Emma and I wish them well."
The move is seen as an impressive move by auction industry experts, who have seen Duke's grow from a good local player into one of the most respected auctioneers in the UK.
Guy Schwinge and Garry Batt of Duke's commented:
"We have been looking for new premises for more than a decade to complement our existing operations. We never dreamed of finding them at the heart of the new town centre. For us, it represents the perfect opportunity to grow our business and provide superb premises for our clients to visit. In simple terms, it is a perfect "out of town solution", with plenty of parking and superb access, but just a few steps from Brewery Square with its excellent range of restaurants at the centre of this vibrant new quarter of the town"
Duke's are also hoping to forge alliances with public bodies to show art which cannot be shown due to lack of space. A spokesman commented:
"So much is hidden from public view it would be wonderful to think we could blow off the cobwebs and show it in an appropriate environment."
The move represents major expansion for Duke's, who have a reputation for making discoveries and handling headline grabbing sales. Recent landmark auctions have included the contents of Melplash Court, (£3.5 million), jades from the Summer Palace (£1.6 million) and the San Marco panels by Fra Angelico, which established a world record at almost £2 million.
Dukes: 24th Jul 2015 11:31:00