Dinosaur poo auctioned for ‘Antiques Road Trip’ in Louth

Antiques Road Trip star Philip Serrell caused jaws to drop when his entries arrived for sale in a Louth auction - as his ‘treasures’ included a 23-million-year old dinosaur poo!
The 23-million-year-old dinosaur poo.The 23-million-year-old dinosaur poo.
The 23-million-year-old dinosaur poo.

Philip snapped up the fossilised faeces during a buying expedition through the antiques shops of Yorkshire, while he was involved in a Road Trip battle with fellow antiques expert Natasha Raskin-Sharp.

Their finds were then sent on to go under the hammer at the John Taylors saleroom in Louth.

Exactly what happened when the three pieces of poo - which are thought to be that of a turtle-like dinosaur of the early Miocene Epoch - went under the hammer will be revealed when the Antiques Road Trip episode is screened on BBC One tomorrow (Thursday) at 4.30pm.

James Laverack (centre) with Road Trip stars Natasha Raskin-Sharp and Philip Serrell.James Laverack (centre) with Road Trip stars Natasha Raskin-Sharp and Philip Serrell.
James Laverack (centre) with Road Trip stars Natasha Raskin-Sharp and Philip Serrell.

Auctioneer James Laverack said: “It has caused great amusement and there have, of course, been endless jokes about ‘Philip going potty’ and his chances of winning the competition ‘going down the pan’ and all the rest.

“Strange as it may seem, there are collectors of such things - indeed, one expert has been quoted as saying that no dinosaur fossil collection is complete without an example.

“But ahead of the auction I was just slightly concerned that we might not have many of them in Lincolnshire. Would we get any bids?”

“The really funny thing is that after 23 million years, this stuff is now just rock but most of those brave folk who did examine it during the auction viewing sessions still handled it very gingerly.

“There were even people who actually sniffed to see if it still had a smell! Just for the record, it didn’t!”

James added: “This was the Antique Road Trip’s first visit to the Old Wool Mart and I have to say that it was a real pleasure to have them with us.

“Philip and Natasha were brilliant, mixing and chatting with the crowd. It really was a memorable day.”

• Tune in to BBC One tomorrow at 4.30pm to watch the episode.