ONE OF Dorchester's oldest businesses is enjoying a new lease of life.

Duke's auctioneers and valuers, which has been trading in Dorset since 1823, has set up home in state of the art new premises on the edge of the county town's Brewery Square.

The redevelopment of Pullman Court, previously an unoccupied council office building, has rejuvenated the site and staff at Duke's say it will offer vastly improved facilities for customers.

The reception area alone is nearly the size of Duke's former main sale room in Weymouth Avenue.

The downstairs facilities also include a valuation room, offices and an exhibition space where people can come in all week to view items coming up in sales.

The new premises also offers disabled access and a screen in reception where people can view progress on any ongoing sale.

The sale rooms upstairs offer much more space to display items on sale.

Duke's valuer Amy Brenan said: "In the old premises a lot of pictures were stacked and you couldn't see them properly.

"Here everything pretty much is hanging or displayed on flat surfaces and we can display things in a sympathetic way."

There is also a dedicated photography room to take pictures of items as they come in and the new site boasts improved security with dedicated cabinets to be installed to house jewellery and silver items.

The site also offers 80 parking spaces and Amy said it was a vast improvement on what was there before.

She said: "It's a real rejuvenation of an old building and it couldn't be better located.

"A lot of local residents are pleased that the building has been re-done because before they were looking at an unoccupied building and it is nice to have a business in it now."

Amy said the new facility would also allow Duke's to expand and grow its operations.

She said: "It's going to allow the company to expand even more.

"We are a local company and always have been and want to stay true to our roots but equally we have to be more competitive.

"This year we are going to be doing more specialist sales and it lends itself to many more different things, which is exciting."

Amy added that feedback so far from people using the new building had been overwhelmingly positive.

Duke's partner Garry Batt said the new facility was 'fantastic' for Duke's.

He said: "It's going to move us forward into a new era with a renaissance of auctioneering in Dorset, improving the service we offer to our clients, buyers and sellers."

Duke's will continue to trade from its Weymouth Avenue premises, which will be taking up the functions previously carried out at its Grove sale room and will be re-brandred as Avenue Auctions.

The company is no longer operating from The Grove.

CONTACT ME

t: 01305 269801

e: harry.hogger@dorsetecho.co.uk

twitter: @echodorch