AN LS Lowry sketch the eminent artist made on a napkin whilst on a visit to Gwent during the 1960s has failed to sell at auction.

The Old Hand Ball Court, depicting an historical Caerphilly landmark, was expected to fetch between £8,000 and £12,000.

Lowry is thought to have made the sketch with a pencil whilst sat in a Nelson café whilst on a trip to the South Wales Valleys.

The Old Hand Ball Court. Picture: Rogers Jones

The Old Hand Ball Court. Picture: Rogers Jones

The painter was a frequent visitor to the area in the Sixties where he would meet up with his friend, Ebbw Vale art collector Monty Bloom.

The notes about the piece from auctioneer Rogers Jones said: “Lowry undertook several trips to the villages in the valleys of south Wales in the 1960s with his friend and collector Monty Bloom, reigniting his interest in industrial landscape for a time, resulting in major works such as 'Bargoed' (1965) and 'Hillside in Wales' (1962).

LS Lowry. Picture: Press Association

LS Lowry. Picture: Press Association

“This sketch was executed at this seminal time, probably whist seated in a Nelson cafe.

“Handball was a popular sport amongst the working men of the South Wales valleys, leading to local rivalries and betting opportunities.

“The sketch depicts the three-sided court with squared quoins in the grounds of The Nelson Inn, thought to have been built in around 1860.”

Piccadily Circus was painted by LS Lowry in 1960 and was sold for £5.6 million at a Christies auction in 2011. Picture: PA

Piccadily Circus was painted by LS Lowry in 1960 and was sold for £5.6 million at a Christie's auction in 2011. Picture: Press Association

Laurence Stephen Lowry spent much of his life in Salford and is strongly associated with the city.

Best known for his mill scenes and industrial landscapes, his work covers a wide range of themes and subjects, from landscapes and seascapes to portraits and surreal imaginings.

Lowry died in 1976 at the age of 88.