Meet the Collector: Katherine Mann of Histon Manor

When Katherine Mann purchased the Grade II listed Histon Manor in 2018, she took on far more than a house. She inherited a piece of local history, layered with decades of family life, but also in need of an ambitious renovation. Behind the heavy panelling, low ceilings, and overfilled rooms, Katherine saw extraordinary potential.

Over the following years, she and her husband carefully peeled back the property’s layers, installing new ceilings, opening up doorways, rewiring, replumbing, and redecorating, all while respecting the manor’s Georgian heritage. The result is a house that feels both grand and welcoming, with its historic backdrop gently rebalanced for modern family life.

Histon Manor, credit @timioshinstudios 

Moving from a smaller city-centre home to an eight-bedroom, 7,500 sqft manor created a new challenge: furnishing on a scale Katherine had never faced before. Rather than turning to high-street retailers, she turned to Cheffins Interiors sales.

“I’ve been attending Cheffins auctions for years,” Katherine explains, “but once we moved into Histon Manor, it became a monthly ritual. I’m always looking for one-of-a-kind pieces to bring individuality into our rooms. Auctions offer me three things I can’t get on the high street: the thrill of discovery, better value, and the knowledge that I’m making a more sustainable choice.”

The kitchen at Histon Manor, credit Kirsty Blackwell Photography

For Katherine, buying at auction is as much about conscience as it is about style. “There’s something incredibly satisfying about giving a piece a second life and keeping it out of landfill. Every item has a story, and that’s what makes a home feel alive,” she says.

Every room at Histon Manor sees a handful of items from Cheffins, ranging from vast wardrobes, side tables, coffee tables to original paintings, prints and decorative items. She now has created an incredibly eclectic interior, indulging her passion for mixing old furniture with new.

The sitting room at Histon Manor, credit Kirsty Blackwell Photography

Katherine says: “The Cheffins team are always kind and fun to deal with, even if they occasionally raise an eyebrow at some of my more obscure purchases! That said, most things tend to work brilliantly in the space, and on the rare occasion they don’t, I just pop them back into the next auction.”

“Our house has a strong Georgian backdrop, so I’ve been really focused on striking the right balance between classic and contemporary. Over the years, I’ve picked up everything from sofas to sideboards, but one of my all-time favourite finds is an Art Deco mirrored cocktail cabinet, it’s a real statement piece. More recently, I’ve turned my attention to art, mirrors, and smaller decorative objects, the finishing touches that bring a room together. You can have the perfect sofa or rug, but without something interesting on the walls or a standout piece on a sideboard, the room just doesn’t come to life.”

The dining room at Histon Manor, credit Kirsty Blackwell Photography

Luke Bodalbhai, Valuer at Cheffins said: “Katherine has a real talent for picking out objects at auction. Over the years she has bought everything from large scale wardrobes and tables through to smaller, decorative items, such as prints, ceramics and so on. Katherine is exemplary in her skill at pairing antique pieces with newer furniture and contemporary wallpaper and has created an exuberant yet harmonious interior at Histon Manor. Many of Katherine’s purchases have been from the Cheffins monthly interiors sale. This auction is mainly made up of items which have been sourced across the country as a result of people downsizing, or dealing with late relatives’ estates, with values tending to range from between £50 to £1,500. The sale offers everything from glassware, ceramics, collectibles, furniture, artwork and rugs to everything in between.”

Histon Manor is now a hub of the community. Katherine hosts a handful of open events annually, including a popular snowdrop walk, and has launched a village dahlia show, leading to dahlias popping up in gardens across the village as residents compete for the title. On average, Histon Manor sees approximately 1,000 visitors to each of its garden events. In 2025, she launched the Cambridgeshire Plein Air Painting Competition, which brought over 80 artists to the grounds for a day of painting raising thousands for charity.

Katherine now offers Histon Manor as a shoot location through East Coast Locations. In addition, the house and grounds are available for hire for weddings as well as corporate and networking events.

To find out more about Histon Manor, please visit the website here

And to follow Katherine’s renovation progress, she can be found on Instagram at @manorhouserefurb

To view the calendar for upcoming auctions at Cheffins, please click here