Artwork & Antiques Courier UK | Insured Fine Art Transport
Our Artwork & Antiques Courier Service handles paintings, sculpture, antique furniture, and high-value collectables across the UK with the discretion and condition-care these items demand. We collect from galleries, auction houses, restorers, fairs, private collectors, and estate properties, then deliver door-to-door using two-person crews trained in fine-art handling. Vehicles run insulated and unbranded where requested, jobs are tracked from collection to signed delivery, and condition reports with timestamped photographs are emailed on completion. Whether you need a single oil painting moved between London galleries on the same morning, an auction-house lot returned to a buyer in Edinburgh overnight, a 19th-century cabinet relocated from a country house, or a touring exhibition installed across multiple regional venues on a tight schedule, the service is built around three priorities: nothing arrives damaged, nothing arrives late, and nothing is seen by people who do not need to see it. Same-day, overnight, timed-window, and out-of-hours collections are all bookable, with enhanced insurance, bespoke crating, and dedicated direct-drive vehicles available for higher-value or higher-risk movements. We work seven days a week and cover mainland UK plus Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man on request.
What We Transport
Paintings & Sculptures
Oils, watercolours, framed prints, and small-to-mid scale sculptures are wrapped in glassine, soft tissue, and bubble, then secured into custom A-frames or padded bracing inside the van. Hardboard corners, archival tape, and Tyvek are carried as standard. Larger works load last and unload first so they spend minimum time stacked or under other weight.
Antique Furniture
Cabinets, chests, longcase clocks, dining tables, and upholstered seating are blanket-wrapped, edge-padded, and ratchet-strapped to the van's load bars. Two-person crews handle stair-carry, tight doorway navigation, and partial disassembly on site — clock movements removed, table legs unbolted, drawers extracted and bagged — with full reassembly at delivery.
Exhibition Pieces
Touring exhibitions, gallery installations, and art-fair logistics run on tight install and de-install windows. We confirm venue access, lift dimensions, and goods-entrance protocols in advance, deliver into the booked slot, and assist with unpacking onto plinths or hanging rails when required. Empty crates and packing are removed or retained for the return leg as agreed.
Collectables
Smaller high-value items — jewellery, coins, ceramics, militaria, vintage watches, and signed memorabilia — are double-boxed, individually tracked, and signed-for at delivery. Vehicles fitted with concealed storage and unbranded livery are available for higher-value or higher-profile movements. Photographic proof of collection and delivery is provided as standard on every job.
Auction-House Lots
Collection from Bonhams, Christie's, Sotheby's, Lyon & Turnbull, and regional salerooms is daily work for us. We present buyer ID and lot numbers at the cashier desk, settle handling fees on your behalf where pre-arranged, and route the lot directly to your stated address — home, gallery, restorer, or storage facility — with full proof-of-delivery.
Private & Estate Collections
House clearances, downsizing moves, and inheritance transfers involving art, silver, and antiques are handled with the same discretion as commercial work. Inventories are checked against the dispatch list before the van leaves the address, and the receiving party signs a clean delivery note on arrival, giving you a clear paper trail for executors or insurers.
Popular Specialised Goods Services
Our Artwork & Antiques Delivery Process
Fast, reliable, and transparent — here's how we handle your urgent deliveries.
Request
Share pickup and delivery details.
Confirm
We confirm availability, price & ETA.
Collect
Driver collects within 60 minutes.
Deliver
Direct delivery with no hub delays.
Updates
Delivery updates available on request.
Proof
Instant proof of delivery.
FAQs
Yes — every consignment is covered by our standard transit liability limits while in our care (up to £5,000 per consignment based on our standard weight-based calculation of £1,300 per tonne for business cargo, or up to £50 per parcel for consumer shipments). For higher-value items, fragile goods, or specialist equipment, we can arrange extended coverage under a declared-value uplift. Please notify us of the total value in writing prior to booking so we can agree on a bespoke arrangement.
Yes — we deliver to commercial galleries, auction houses, museums, private viewing rooms, restoration studios, and private addresses across the UK. Bookings are confirmed against the venue's loading-bay or goods-entrance hours, and we will hold to a 15-minute install window where the venue requires it.
Yes — unbranded white vans are available on request, crews wear plain workwear, and we do not display delivery details on shipping documentation visible to bystanders. For high-profile or high-value movements we can also use plain panel vans with concealed storage and routes planned to avoid layover stops.
Yes — insulated panel vans hold a stable cabin environment year-round and we avoid leaving pieces in direct sun or near heat sources during loading. For longer multi-stop tours, climate-monitored equipment can be specified at booking, with humidity logs sent on completion — useful for oil paintings, parchment, and timber that are sensitive to humidity swings.
Yes — exhibition de-installs, art-fair break-downs, and gallery rotations are standard work. We co-ordinate with the venue's freight desk, collect within the booked window, and deliver onward to gallery storage, the next venue on the tour, or the lender's private address. Multi-stop routes are mapped to keep transit time and handling to a minimum.
We photograph each piece at collection — front, back, sides, and any pre-existing damage — and again at delivery. The report is emailed alongside the proof-of-delivery confirmation, giving you a documented audit trail for insurance claims, consignment records, or onward sale. Bespoke condition-report templates supplied by your gallery or insurer can be used where required.
Yes — bespoke plywood crates, soft-pack solutions, mirror cartons, and museum-grade foam inserts are made on demand. Typical lead time is two to five working days depending on complexity. The crate stays with the piece for the duration of the transit, or returns empty for re-use on a future job, which can be quoted as part of the original booking.
UK collections to packing-and-freight forwarders for air, sea, or road export onward are routine work. We deliver direct to specialist fine-art shippers at Heathrow, Stansted, Felixstowe, and Dover for onward carriage. Customs paperwork and CITES handling sits with the export forwarder; we handle the UK-leg logistics up to their door, on the timeline your shipper specifies.
Yes — many auction-house pickups, gallery hangs, and private viewings happen outside standard nine-to-five hours. Out-of-hours collection and delivery is bookable subject to crew availability and an out-of-hours surcharge; quote on application. For touring exhibitions we will work the venue's schedule rather than ours.