Angus Ashworth: His Life, Family and Yorkshire Auction House Career
Recognise Angus Ashworth from television but want to know more about the man behind the auctioneer’s gavel? His story includes an early start in antiques, military service and building a Yorkshire business that became the setting for a television series.
Best known for The Yorkshire Auction House and his appearances on Antiques Road Trip, Ashworth is a working auctioneer as well as a presenter. Here is a closer look at his career, publicly documented family life and how to approach his auction house with an item of your own.
Who is Angus Ashworth?
Angus Ashworth is a British antiques expert and the founder of Ryedale Auctioneers in Kirkbymoorside, North Yorkshire. The business lists him as its managing director and auctioneer, placing his professional work at the centre of his public profile.
His television appearances show different sides of that work: assessing objects, discussing their histories and bringing them to auction. For viewers, the appeal is often as much about the people parting with their possessions as the eventual sale price.
His antiques career began at 16
Ashworth’s interest in antiques became a career soon after school. In an interview with The Yorkshire Post, he recalled moving to Scarborough on his 16th birthday to work for David Duggleby Auctioneers. He had already gained work experience there.
The same interview describes a family connection to the trade: his mother liked antiques, while his uncle was a dealer. Ashworth also collected militaria, giving him a particular interest to develop alongside his broader auction-room knowledge.
Starting young meant learning through the daily work of an auction house. His route into the profession offers a useful reminder that television expertise can grow out of years spent handling objects and dealing with buyers and sellers.
Angus Ashworth’s army background
Before establishing his own auction house, Ashworth worked in his family’s marine engineering business and joined the Territorial Army.
His talent agency confirms that he was called up for service in Iraq in 2005 and Afghanistan in 2009. These are documented parts of his background, rather than details inferred from his interest in military antiques.
He subsequently returned to the antiques trade and launched Ryedale Auctioneers in 2010. His career therefore took several turns before the television work for which many viewers now recognise him.
Building Ryedale Auctioneers
Ryedale Auctioneers handles a broad range of objects, including antiques, collectables, fine art and militaria. Its official website confirms that the business was founded in 2010 and attracts buyers through both its Yorkshire saleroom and online bidding.
The variety matters. An auction house needs to assess different markets, rather than assume that everything old has the same appeal. A collection of railway memorabilia requires a different kind of knowledge from a painting or a piece of jewellery.
Ashworth also works with a team. Ryedale’s staff directory lists valuers and specialists across areas such as coins, books, ceramics, toys and models. The business behind the programme is a shared professional operation, even when its founder is the most familiar face.
Which television programmes has he appeared in?
Antiques Road Trip
Ashworth’s official website lists appearances on Antiques Road Trip and Celebrity Antiques Road Trip. These programmes form an important part of his television career alongside his own auction-house series.
They offer a different setting from the day-to-day running of Ryedale, introducing viewers to his approach to antiques beyond his own saleroom.
The Yorkshire Auction House
The Yorkshire Auction House began filming in 2020 and first aired in 2021, according to Ryedale’s official programme page. It follows Ashworth and his team as they visit homes, sort through possessions and prepare suitable finds for auction.
Family heirlooms and collections bring a personal dimension to the format. Clearing a property can involve memories, difficult decisions and practical pressures, giving the programme a story beyond the objects themselves.
The celebrity spin-off, Celebrity Yorkshire Auction House, applies the format to possessions belonging to well-known guests.
Yorkshire Heritage Hero
His presenting work also includes Angus Ashworth: Yorkshire Heritage Hero, which began airing in late 2025. The series visits Yorkshire’s historic houses, where objects are identified for sale to help support repairs and restoration.
Ryedale’s announcement names properties including Newburgh Priory, Birdsall House and Scampston Hall. The premise links the sale of individual items with the practical challenge of maintaining historic buildings.
What is publicly known about his wife and children?
A 2021 Yorkshire Post interview identifies Ashworth’s wife as Gemma and describes her support when he established Ryedale Auctioneers. His talent agency biography also describes him as a father of three.
Those sources establish the basic family background without requiring speculation about his home life. His public work remains focused on auctions, antiques and television, so there is little reason to add unverified personal details.
How to get an item assessed by his auction house
If the programmes have made you curious about something at home, Ryedale’s published selling process provides a practical starting point. The company asks prospective sellers to submit photographs, a contact number and their location. It states that walk-in valuations are not accepted.
To prepare an enquiry:
- Photograph the whole item in clear light.
- Add close-ups of marks, labels, signatures and any damage.
- Include dimensions and any documented history you have.
- Submit the information through the official selling page.
- Ask about estimates, fees and the next suitable sale before committing.
For example, an enquiry about a vase is more useful when it includes the base and any chips, rather than just a photograph of its decorative front.
Check the selling charges carefully. The hammer price is not the same as the amount a seller receives after applicable fees. Ryedale publishes its charges separately.
Frequently asked questions
How old is Angus Ashworth?
Companies House records his birth month and year as May 1984. That makes him 42 as of November 2026.
Is Angus Ashworth married?
Published reporting identifies his wife as Gemma. A Yorkshire Post interview discusses her support for the launch of his auction business.
Was Angus Ashworth in the army?
Yes. His agency biography confirms Territorial Army service, including deployments to Iraq in 2005 and Afghanistan in 2009.
Where is his auction house?
Ryedale Auctioneers is based in Kirkbymoorside, North Yorkshire. Check its official website before visiting, as public access and appointments are subject to its opening arrangements.
Can anyone submit items for auction?
Prospective sellers can send photographs for an initial appraisal. Acceptance and the appropriate sale depend on the auction house’s assessment; submitting an enquiry does not guarantee a sale.
From the saleroom to the screen
Angus Ashworth’s television career rests on a longer background in antiques, military service and running Ryedale Auctioneers. His programmes connect the interest of discovering an object with the people, memories and decisions surrounding it.
To explore his work, start with The Yorkshire Auction House. If you have an item to sell, gather clear photographs and contact the auction house for an assessment before making plans around its potential value.
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