The watch going under the hammer was presented to 19th century politician Cecil Rhodes whose statue at Oriel College in Oxford attracted criticism due to his imperialist exploits.

The College installed an explanatory plaque which described Mr Rhodes as a “committed British colonialist” who had “obtained his fortune through exploitation of minerals, land and peoples of southern Africa”.

Mr Rhodes was a student at Oriel and left the college £100,000 when he died in 1902.

READ MORE: Calls to remove Oxford College Cecil Rhodes monument

The Cecil Rhodes statue in High Street

Now, a watch linked to Mr Rhodes is expected to fetch hundreds of pounds.

The Dent travelling watch, housed in its original wooden case, is accompanied by a handwritten note stating that it was presented to Mr Rhodes by Sir Charles Metcalfe, consulting engineer on the Cape-to-Cairo Railway project.

The note reads: “This watch was bought by the late Sir Charles Metcalfe, consulting engineer for the Cape to Cairo Railway. Sir Charles presented it to Cecil Rhodes. It was always put in Mr Rhodes’s travelling dispatch box.”

Mr Rhodes remains one of the defining and most controversial figures of the British Empire.

Having made a vast fortune through the South African diamond industry and the De Beers mining empire, he became Prime Minister of Cape Colony and pursued his dream of a British-controlled railway stretching from Cape Town to Cairo.

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William John Young’s biography (Image: Hanson Auctioneers)

The territory of Rhodesia – now Zimbabwe and Zambia – was named after him.

In his last will, he provided for the establishment of the international Rhodes Scholarship at the University of Oxford, the oldest graduate scholarship in the world.

The watch itself was made by Dent of London, a clock and watchmakers and the firm associated with the mechanism of Big Ben at the Palace of Westminster.

The timepiece was acquired by Mr Rhodes’s assistant and travelling companion, William John Young, whose remarkable memoirs describe the final days of the empire builder.

The watch was consigned for sale by Mr Young’s grandson who also lives locally and remembered his grandfather as a “very smart and upright man”.

While not wishing to be named he hoped the watch would be sold to someone who appreciated its historic worth.

The Dent travelling watch (Image: Hanson Auctioneers)

More than a century after his death, his legacy continues to provoke debate because of his role in colonial expansion and racial segregation in southern Africa.

Oriel College set up an independent commission in 2021 for the statue honouring Rhodes’ memory and this recommended the statue’s removal and the plaque in the city.

The College’s plaque acknowledged that “some of his activities led to great loss of life and attracted criticism in his day and ever since”.

The watch, along with a photo of Mr Young, and a typewritten copy of his memoir have an estimate of £800 to £1,000 at Holloways, part of the Hansons Auctioneers umbrella, in Banbury on June 17.

The 66-year-old was born in the city and grew up in Blackbird Leys before going on to star in projects such as Jeeves and Wooster, Blackadder and The Night Manager.

He is perhaps best known globally for his role as the titular character in House, which ran for eight seasons between 2004 and 2012.

Another one of Mr Laurie’s biggest hits was the spy thriller, The Night Manager, which was released in 2016 and saw him play off against Tom Hiddleston’s Jonathan Pine.

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The six-episode series saw the 66-year-old win a Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe for his villainous part as Richard Roper.

He reprised the role in a shock return during the long-awaited second series, which was released earlier this year.

Writer Janet Murray took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to criticise the long-running medical drama, suggesting each episode followed a repetitive formula in which Dr House initially misdiagnoses a patient and nearly loses his job, before eventually solving the case and avoiding dismissal.

“Eight seasons of this?” she asked, drawing an unexpected response from actor Hugh Laurie.

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“Thanks for your critique,” wrote the Blackadder star on X. “We actually tried a couple of episodes where House gets it right first time, but they were only 6 minutes long. NBC weren’t happy.

“Then we tried some where House never gets it right, and the patient dies. The audience wasn’t happy.”

He continued: “One could apply your trenchant analysis to other art forms: JS Bach wrote 30 Goldberg variations on the same chord structure; Frida Kahlo painted 50 portraits of herself; Henry Moore, what??

“The point is, or was, variations on a theme; if all you see is hospital, medical blah blah, then it wasn’t meant for you. Nonetheless, I look forward to your first novel!”

Chiltern Railways has announced that two train services are experiencing delays after unrelated issues.

The more serious event today (Tuesday, June 9) relates to Banbury where there are almost hour-long delays due to people trespassing on the train tracks.

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A spokesperson for the railway company said: “We apologise but due to trespassers on the railway at Banbury, the line towards the West Midlands and London is blocked.”

First reported at around 12.30pm, this is expected to last until at least 2.15pm.

We apologise that due to a problem with line-side equipment between Bicester North and Kings Sutton, trains have to run at reduced speed on both the line towards London and the line towards the West Midlands.

Please check your journey prior to travel via: https://t.co/vWimDIg2w9 … pic.twitter.com/ne15KKYUSH

— Chiltern Railways (@chilternrailway) June 9, 2026

The other issue is centred between Bicester North and King’s Sutton in Northamptonshire, where there are 15 minute delays to services.

We apologise but due to trespassers on the railway at Banbury, the line towards the West Midlands and London is blocked.

Please check your journey prior to travel via: https://t.co/vWimDIg2w9

We’re sorry for the delay to your journey. If you have been delayed by 15 minutes or… pic.twitter.com/iBSaJVoXYd

— Chiltern Railways (@chilternrailway) June 9, 2026

The spokesperson said: “We apologise that due to a problem with line-side equipment between Bicester North and King’s Sutton, trains have to run at reduced speed on both the line towards London and the line towards the West Midlands.”

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First reported at around noon, this issue is predicted to be solved imminently.

The company added that if you have been delayed you may be entitled to compensation, for which you should go to its website.

“We’re sorry for the delay to your journey,” said the spokesperson.

“If you have been delayed by 15 minutes or more, then you are likely to be entitled to compensation.”