Perhaps the most popular are the Czechoslovakian "large stopper" bottles. These fancy bottles were made of cut or pressed glass, clear or colored. Tops were often as tall as the bottle.

The sell-off, organised by Littleton Auctions of Evesham, is expected to reach a crescendo when two bottles of highly sought-after 1914 Hine Grande Champagne brandy will go under the hammer.

Also buried deep in the earth were untouched bottles of brandy, keys, pots, quills, pipes, coins, and personalised crockery bearing the former landlord's name. The personalised plates belonged to ...