The Team

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Philip’s entire working life has been devoted to the fine art and antique auction world with over 40 years of experience. Having joined Sandoe Luce Payne Fine Arts in 1988, Philip acquired the company and relaunched Wotton Auction Rooms as sole owner in 1991. Having spent four decades building on the strong local foundations of the business stretching back as far as 1855, Philip has tirelessly and without falter built a reputation of honesty and integrity within the local community and throughout the wider market, now often receiving instructions by the third generations of families he first assisted in his early beginnings in Gloucestershire. When not busy attending valuations and putting together the next sale in Wotton-under-Edge, Philip proudly regularly contributes as a valuer with The BBC’s Antiques Roadshow, a position he has held now for over 20 years. Philip is a highly experienced generalist, finding interest in virtually all areas of the wider market, with his particular passions found in early country furniture, folk art, coins, medals and books - the area which started his love affair with antiques, as his parents owned and ran a celebrated antiquarian book shop in Burford in the 1960’s and 70’s. Like Joseph, Philip is invited to host numerous talks and charity auctions each year across the Cotswolds and further afield, many of which he has now been hosting annually for many years.

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With over 15 years experience in the fine art and antique auction world, Joseph returned to Wotton in late 2023 to re-join his mentor Philip Taubenheim as joint owner and partner in the company, a homecoming after training as a junior auctioneer with Philip in the early years of his career. In the years in between Joseph’s stations at Wotton, he has held prominent positions with some of the largest leading provincial sale rooms across the UK, culminating as senior valuer and associate partner with Gorringe’s of East Sussex. Joseph has also led an active role in the wider industry with various committee positions to date to include proudly serving as president of NAVA Propertymark (The National Association of Valuers and Auctioneers) then at the age of 22, the youngest premier in the association’s history, a group devoted to championing excellence and best practice in the industry. A proud generalist, Joseph conducts valuations for all purposes across the wider market. His principal interests include early British and Continental works of art, Chinese and Islamic works of art, wristwatches, fine wines and whisky. Alongside the day job Joseph conducts over a dozen charity auctions annually and gives numerous lectures and talks to groups across the UK. He is an active member of The Select Society of Auctioneers and is a Freeman of The Worshipful Company of Arts Scholars. Joseph is also a columnist with Cotswold Life Magazine.

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Izzie Balmer is a familiar face on the BBC, appearing on The Travelling Auctioneers, Antiques Road Trip, Bargain Hunt and Flog It. When not travelling around the nation filming, Izzie works as an independent consultant, valuer and auctioneer. Izzie holds the prestigious gemmology (FGA) and diamond (DGA) diplomas from the Gemmological Association of Great Britain. Together with her passion for jewellery, Izzie has over a decade of experience working as a general valuer.

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Having worked alongside the Wotton team for a number of years in his role assisting with our house clearance and transport provision, Craig joined the in-house team here in 2023 and has quickly become an integral part of the Wotton family. Responsible for assisting clients as they deliver consignments or as purchases are collected, Craig is instantly recognisable by his cheerful willingness to help and inimitable sense of humour!

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Hayley has worked alongside Philip and been an integral part of the team at Wotton for over 15 years now and is synonymous with the warm welcome clients expect and so enjoy when dealing with us. Responsible for issuing auctioneer's valuations, managing marketing and fielding enquiries from the public, Hayley's role is a varied one which sees her supporting the successful output of all areas of the firm's operations.

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Toby graduated with a degree in BA Fine Art (Hons) at the Bath School of Art and Design in 2014 and spent a year of his degree studying at the Xi an Academy of Fine Art in China. In 2017 he started his auction career at Leonard Joel auction house in Melbourne, Australia where he trained as an auctioneer while managing their Furniture and Interiors department. Since he returned to the United Kingdom in 2019, Toby has worked freelance as an auctioneer and valuer for auction houses around Bristol and joined the Wotton team in 2022. Responsible for curating our pictures and Asian art departments, Toby's knowledge and research skills are the enviable result of years of study and saleroom experience.

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A highly experienced accountant, Liz's passion is found in the numbers of the business, delivered in a varied role which sees her responsible for management of the routine accountancy of the auction rooms alongside data management analysis and much more. Her position has developed and grown in the eleven years in which Liz has been a vital member of the Wotton team. Liz also oversees compliance within the business, ensuring that in the ever-changing and evolving fine art market, we are consistently and unfailingly compliant with all updates in law and legislation, ranging from recently updated rules on Anti-Money Laundering (AML) regulations to The Ivory act and GDPR.

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Having started his auction world career with Wotton at the age of just 16, Andrew is a highly experienced and universally respected specialist with over 30 years of experience.
Responsible for organising the daily logistics of one of the largest furniture and garden / architectural salvage departments in the UK, Andrew’s knowledge of these market areas is the enviable result of years spent learning and honing his craft as markets have changed and developed.
Within these broad and varying fields, Andrew’s particular interests are found in vernacular furniture, the English Arts & Crafts movement and ecclesiastical / gothic antiques and architectural salvage.

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With over a decade's experience in the fine art and antique auction world, Jack is the newest member of the Wotton Auction Rooms team, joining us in January of 2026. We welcome Jack following his relocating from East Sussex, where he cut his auctioneering teeth with Gorringe's of East Sussex, going on to manage their hugely successful and popular weekly sales. A passionate student of Chinese and Asian art and ceramics, Jack is also a proud generalist alongside Philip and Joseph. When not on the rostrum, valuing or developing new routes of business, Jack will most likely be found spending time with his son, Arthur (5) or discovering new areas of his recently adopted home in the Cotswolds.