Documentary
At Castle Durrow in the heart of Ireland, beautiful and extraordinary antique treasures are repaired, valued and bid for at this stunning country house auction.


A five-diamond platinum sparkler, Italian marble chimney piece and ceremonial Tibetan dagger go under the hammer. And will a guitar signed by The Rolling Stones give someone a little satisfaction?

A 19th-century Japanese silver punchbowl, a boule table and a John Constable painting go under the hammer. And will a 1930s Philco radio make a sound profit?

An Egyptian amulet, a silver pin cushion and a collection of timepieces make the auction tick. And will someone be sitting pretty on some Louis XVI gilt chairs?

A Victorian mirror and some acclaimed works of art go under the hammer. And will an extremely collectable consignment of wine get the auction's juices flowing?

Narrator

Modern day treasure hunter, Drew Pritchard is one of Britain's leading architectural salvage dealers, traveling the length and breadth of the country in search of weird and wonderful objects. Drew loves the thrill of the hunt and while he gets his hands dirty in the country's architectural backwaters, a crack team of restorers are back at base giving old and rare finds a new lease of life. We've seen them at work on Salvage Hunters, restoring, repairing and refining Drew's finds but for the first time, Salvage Hunters: The Restorers is going behind-the-scenes with this expert team to see what it really takes to transform junk into gems.

Architectural salvage expert Drew Pritchard looks back at the most eccentric characters, the hardest hagglers and the most extraordinary places he's hunted for antique treasure. Drew gives us the inside track on his wheeling and dealing, the stories behind his picks, as well as top tips about salvaging and how to get the best deals.

Alain Brousseau is a legendary auctioneer in the Sherbrooke area. He is the reference when it comes to “emptying the place” and “clearing house.” He and his team travel all around Quebec to organize auctions. From inventory surplus to a store closure, from a succession to a farm equipment sale, Alain Brousseau will show up if there’s a good deal to be had. His mission: sell everything to the highest bidder.

Every year, thousands of properties are sold at auction, ranging from modest two-up, two-downs to multi-million-pound, waterfront mansions. But they often have some nasty surprises hidden beneath the floorboards and need a bit of love and affection to turn them into a dream home. Cue Sarah Beeny. She’s been buying, building and transforming properties for thirty-five years and she’s fascinated by the world of auctions. In this series she’ll be offering a dose of realism as brave new owners try and take their auction buys from derelict to diamond.

Antikrundan is the Swedish version of the original BBC format Antiques Roadshow. The show visits different locations in Sweden and lets people bring their antiques to be valued by experts. It remains popular and often has more than 2 million viewers. The 19th season was shown in 2009. Most of the experts have been with the programme since the start. Jesper Aspegren was the original host. He left in 1999 and was succeeded by Anne Lundberg. Antikrundan started out as a coproduction between SVT Malmö and the BBC where the Antiques Roadshow would visit Scandinavia for two programmes. Antikrundan premiered in August 1989 on TV2 and has since been shown on SVT every year. Antiques Roadshow is shown on BBC Lifestyle and TV8 in Sweden.

Meet modern-day treasure hunter Drew Pritchard. With demanding customers, high turnover, and one of the biggest decorative salvage yards in the UK, Drew is constantly on the road, crisscrossing the country in search of derelict gems and forgotten remnants. Drew loves the thrill of the hunt and while he gets his hands dirty in the country's architectural backwaters, his crack team of restorers is back at the shop giving old and rare finds a new lease on life.