A PAINTING by one of the most celebrated portrait painters of his time has been returned to its ancestral home, Sizergh Castle.

‘Charles Strickland with a Fishing Rod’ was painted by Dalton-born artist George Romney in the 1760s.

Romney produced six paintings of the Strickland family, five of which can be seen at the castle today.

The family has lived at Sizergh for over 750 years, although the house and its collection are now looked after by the National Trust.

The painting of Charles is a rare example of Romney’s early work and depicts Charles as a country gentleman and landowner, fishing on his estate in front of Force Falls on the River Kent near Sedgwick.

The painting was auctioned in the late 1800s and bought by the Grosvenor Estate where it hung in an accountant’s back office and was gifted to him on his retirement.

Whilst visiting Sizergh with his wife, this man recognised a similarity between the four paintings and his own – not knowing that he was in possession of the missing piece in the set.

After striking up a friendship with the late Mrs Strickland and her son Henry, the man wrote into his will that the castle would have the first chance to buy the painting when he died.

The piece was finally bought last August thanks to generous donations from volunteers at Sizergh, the Romney Society and the V&A Acquisitions Fund.

“It’s fantastic to see the portrait of Charles Strickland back on the walls of the house it was painted to adorn,” said Matthew Brown, senior house steward.

“The portrait hasn’t been seen at Sizergh since 1896 so it’s wonderful to have it back in its original setting after 124 years.

“We are grateful to everyone who donated towards the cause over the last two years.”

The portrait was due to be shown alongside the other Romney paintings when the house was scheduled to open to the public for the new season this Saturday March 21.

But now all National Trust houses will be shutting at the end of the week, following the government guidance on coronavirus, until further notice. A series of guided Romney walks to celebrate the painting's return, scheduled for March and April, have also been cancelled until further notice.