September 1822 saw 700 sightseers a day flocking to Fonthill Abbey, the Gothic folly created by reclusive slaveowner William Beckford in west Wiltshire and filled with expensive works of art.
By 1821 he was unable to pay the interest on debts calculated to be £145,000 – about £15 million at today’s values. Reluctantly, Beckford put the sale of Fonthill in the hands of auctioneer James Christie and decamped to Bath, where he began yet more grandiose building. The auction date was set for 17 September 1822, virtually 200 years ago to the day.

The story of the sale is told in Fonthill Fever, an impressive free exhibition which can be seen at Gold Hill Museum, Shaftesbury, until 31 October.
The story of Beckford’s life in Bath, where he lived in Lansdown Crescent until his death in 1844, is the subject of the Teulon Porter Memorial Lecture by Dr Amy Frost at Shaftesbury Town Hall on Tuesday 27 September at 7.30pm. Amy is an expert on William Beckford, as the curator of Beckford’s Tower and Museum, and senior architectural curator of the Bath Preservation Trust.
Admission to the lecture is £5 at the door and free to members of Shaftesbury & District Historical Society. Further details of the lecture and the exhibition can be found at www.goldhillmuseum.org.uk/diary or phone 01747 852157.