Antony Gormley's boulders are part of KCC's assets

By political editor Paul Francis

Kent County Council owns hundreds of works of art, historic artefacts and ancient buildings worth nearly £6m.

But many paintings and other items worth of thousands of pounds are in collections kept under lock and key in storage and not accessible to the public.

The authority's schedule of what are described as "heritage assets" are listed for the first time in its annual accounts for the year.

Elements of the list read like a list of items brought for valuation to an edition of the TV show "Antiques Roadshow".

Among them are 18th century scientific calibration equipment, a Roman marble bust, rare books valued at £200,000 and 70 boxes of artefacts excavated during archaeological digs when the High Speed rail link was built through the county - although they are apparently "of little financial value."

But it is the extent of KCC's art collection that is one of the most eye-catching features of the list.

The county council has revealed that it has hundreds of artworks in storage which together are worth £2.3m and are thought to include paintings by several Kent artists.

But it is keeping its collection away from public gaze - although it said this week it was examining ways of putting some on display.

The most valuable is the Master collection of 16th to 19th century prints and drawings, which is valued at £987,000 and will shortly be moved to the recently-opened Kent History Centre in Maidstone.

A separate collection of art, also held in storage at Kings Hill, consisting of 1,500 artworks is valued at £550,000 while a collection of 200 contemporary artworks, also held in storage, is valued at £252,000.

Its single most valuable sculpture is by the renowned sculptor Antony Gormley. His first professional commission was for a series of boulders that were originally located in Ashford. They are valued at £500,000 and are currently being restored.

The marble Roman bust and portrait, dating back to 2AD, are together worth an estimated £100,000. Both were found at Lullingstone villa, near Dartford.

The council also owns historic buildings and monuments that are together valued at £1.1m - including eight windmills, which are all listed; the remains of Thurnham Castle, an 11th century motte and bailey castle and Randall Manor, the site of a former medieval manor in the grounds of Shorne Woods Country Park.

Historic monuments listed include a Second World War air raid warden's post close to Dover railway station - described by KCC as "a small flat roofed concrete structure with all the apertures boarded up." Its value is unknown.

And KCC is also owner of a Martello Tower in the grounds of Folkestone Grammar School - a protected monument and one of just 46 remaining in the country today.

When it comes to historic archives, KCC can boast a wide-ranging collection valued at £2.4m.

They include the family and estate papers of the Knatchbull and Brabourne families, worth about £1.2m. Its general archive collection, much of it stored in the new Kent History Centre in Maidstone, are worth £650,000.

KCC said it had not sold any of its assets this year and had no plans to do.

In a statement it said: "We are looking for ways to make our arts collection more accessible both online and through displays, so currently have no plans to sell the collection.

"We are investigating ways to release copies of our collection through our online services and we are always actively seeking to physically display our pictures when the exhibition conditions and security are appropriate."