A 500-year-old lock of hair believed to have belonged to the sixth wife of Henry VIII sold today for more than £2,000 - to a man who lives in her old home.

The blonde hair was bought by Charles Hudson who lives on the Wyke Manor estate, Wick, near Pershore, which he said was given to Catherine Parr by her husband.

Mr Hudson, 56, who was involved in a competitive bidding war, said: "I'm pleased to be able to bring it home. It's quite amazing really that I'm walking around London with Henry VIII's wife's hair in my pocket."

The lock of hair was sold for almost 15 times the estimated price of £150.

Mr Hudson paid £2,160 for the hair, mounted in an oval frame on ink-inscribed paper which states "Hair of Queen Catherine Parr, Last Consort of Henry, the night she died September 5th 1548 was in the Chapel of Sudeley Castle". The price included the buyer's premium of 20 per cent.

Mr Hudson said that after Catherine died, the estate passed to Anthony Babington, who was later executed for treason after plotting to kill Queen Elizabeth I.

The property then passed to Sir Walter Raleigh, who was also executed.

Mr Hudson's family have lived in the estate - which fire crews saved from going up in smoke after a fire in 2004 - since the mid 18th century.

"It was rather touching to be able to buy the hair and bring some part of her back to a place where she had happier times," said Mr Hudson, who makes real' confetti from delphiniums grown at the nearby farm.

"It's nearly 500 years old, which is really quite terrific."

Lot 228 was put under the hammer by auctioneers Bonhams in central London.

Bonhams spokeswoman Charlotte Wood said: "The provenance of the item has been checked and we believe this is the hair of Catherine Parr. It has not had a DNA test, though.

"It's such a happy ending to the story that the lock of hair will return to her old estate, which is obviously seeped in history."