A painted wooden sign that hung from a store in Norwich for many years sold for £850 at the inaugural sale of north Norfolk's newest auction house.

The 'Gunmaker' sign once graced the facade of the gunsmiths Darlow & Company at Orford Hill, below a carved stone stag which is still there today.

The sale of the sign was one a highlight of a two-day event at the Rostrum Fine Art Auctioneers' sale rooms at Groveland Farm, off Thorpe Market Road in Roughton.

North Norfolk News: A historic photo showing the Gunmaker sign below the stag on Orford Hill in Norwich. The sign sold for £850 at The Rostrum's first auction.A historic photo showing the Gunmaker sign below the stag on Orford Hill in Norwich. The sign sold for £850 at The Rostrum's first auction. (Image: Supplied by The Rostrum)

North Norfolk News: The Gunmaker sign which sold for £850 at The Rostrum's first auction.The Gunmaker sign which sold for £850 at The Rostrum's first auction. (Image: Supplied by The Rostrum)

Olly Webb, director, said the team was delighted with the first event, which featured more than 700 lots.

“We really hit the ground running with this sale that had been several months in the making,” he said.

“Vendors put their faith in us as a new firm and many were rewarded with strong prices. We are particularly please with the response we are having from clients who are keen to consign to our next auction in October."

North Norfolk News: Pictured here is a brass pocket ‘Butterfield’ sundial and compass c.1700. It is typical of the work of the Anglo-French maker Michael Butterfield (1635-1724) who worked for much of his life in in Paris, cornering the market for travelling dials, each made with a hinged gnomon crafted as a bird. It sold at The Rostrum's first auction for £1150.Pictured here is a brass pocket ‘Butterfield’ sundial and compass c.1700. It is typical of the work of the Anglo-French maker Michael Butterfield (1635-1724) who worked for much of his life in in Paris, cornering the market for travelling dials, each made with a hinged gnomon crafted as a bird. It sold at The Rostrum's first auction for £1150. (Image: Supplied by The Rostrum)

North Norfolk News: Colin Burns’ (b.1944) scene of game birds and heather on the Scottish moors titled Balintore - Red Grouse, sold at The Rostrum's first auction for £3200.Colin Burns’ (b.1944) scene of game birds and heather on the Scottish moors titled Balintore - Red Grouse, sold at The Rostrum's first auction for £3200. (Image: Supplied by The Rostrum)