TREASURES from all over Cumbria were scrutinised by experts as Antiques Roadshow rolled into Holker Hall.

An insight into the county's past was provided with a vast selection of artefacts, brought to the show by passionate collectors.

One highlight for the show's experts was a collection of Victorian dresses, brought by Ulverston resident Jennifer Snell.

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Mrs Snell showed the programme's Elaine Binning the dresses, for which she knew the individual histories.

They were all day dresses with printed patterns, and dated from the nineteenth century, when they belonged to women from the Ulverston area.

Speaking to the Gazette after the show, she said: "What I love is the history of them. I am very fond of Victorian history, especially the period from the 1890s to the end of Edwardianism in 1910.

"It was a wonderful time if you had plenty of money; if you didn't it was really tough.

"These dresses are a lovely record of a different way of life. They are artefacts of people's past social lives in Victorian Ulverston."

Mrs Snell, who is retired, started collecting in the 1980s, and allows her dresses to be displayed whenever somebody wants to.

She added: "When I am done with them I don;t think I'll leave them to a museum, as they tend to keep things away in a vault or cupboard. I want them to be on display."

The dresses were valued at between £400 and £50 each, although Mrs Snell said she would never sell them.

Also on the programme was Mrs Snell's husband Maurice, who was called on last-minute to show the experts a record book from Ulverston fire service, which showed the history of its callouts between 1880 and the Second World War.

A collection of three first edition Beatrix Potter books were also valued at £25,000 collectively.

Brought onto the show by the descendants of the writer's personal solicitor, the three books had personal inscriptions addressed to a 'Mr Edwards', from Beatrix Potter.

The books were 'Appley Dapply's Nursery Rhymes', 'The Tale of Mr Todd' and 'The Tale of the Pie and the Patty Pan'.

The latter was from the beginning of the iconic author's career, and contained the most of her personal handwriting, so was valued at £12,000 alone.