ART experts have praised the “rich artistic history” of East Anglia after paintings depicting the area fetched more than �360,000 at auction.

Three of the top five lots at the East Anglian View auction held by Bonhams at its offices in Bury St Edmunds last week were paintings by Campbell Archibald Mellon.

All three featured the picturesque seaside town of Gorleston.

When they were sold on Thursday, “August Bank Holiday, Gorleston” fetched �28,800, “Crowded beach, Gorleston, with boating pond to the foreground” sold for �18,000 and Gorleston Beach made �16,800.

After serving in the First World War, Mellon moved to the town of Gorleston and became well known for his seaside scenes with a mass of clearly defined people.

He loved to paint the beach at Gorleston whilst looking into the sun and the play of light on the sand fascinated him. It was when he moved to Norfolk that he met and studied under Sir John Arnesby Brown, whose painting “The River Bank” fetched �20,400 at the East Anglian View sale. Arnesby Brown was popular for his paintings of landscape and pastoral subjects in which he depicts a timeless naturalism and tranquil contemplative scenes of the marshes and broads of East Anglia.

Two of his other works were also sold: “Beside the Cut, Haddiscoe” made �7,920 and “Cattle on a track” went for �7,800.

Michael Steel, director of Bonhams Bury St Edmunds, said: “These sale results illustrate the popularity of the rich artistic history of this part of the world and we were pleased with the significant prices achieved.”

Alongside the paintings were a number of clocks from the area.

An 18th century black lacquer tavern clock, by Moore of Ipswich, made �3,960. A second clock by Thomas Green of Baldock also made �3,960.

An Ipswich black lacquer longcase clock fetched �1,380 while a Bury St Edmunds blue lacquer longcase clock made �1,440.