Early Winston Churchill coastal scene painting sells for £290,000 at auction trends now Winston Churchill's painting of coastal beauty spot where he was seriously injured as a teenager in a 30ft drop from a footbridge sells for £290,000 Winston Churchill fell some 30 feet from a bridge in Poole, Dorset in 1892 The future Prime Minister was left in a coma for three days after his fall He then faced three months in bed as he recovered from his serious injuries He later painted the location in Branksome Dene Chine in 1916 By Darren Boyle for MailOnline Published: 11:53 GMT, 1 December 2022 | Updated: 12:05 GMT, 1 December 2022 Viewcomments A never-before-seen painting by Winston Churchill of the location where was very nearly killed in a freak accident has sold for £290,000. The future prime minister was left fighting for his life after he fell 30ft off a footbridge at Branksome Dene Chine, Poole, Dorset, in 1892. The then 18-year-old spent three days in a coma and three months bedbound before making a recovery. Twenty-four years later he returned to the coastal beauty spot to paint. Winston Churchill completed his painting of Poole, Dorset, near where he almost fell to his death in 1892 while recovering from a mental health emergency in 1916 Churchill, who had just been sacked as First Lord of the Admiralty for his role in the disastrous Gallipoli campaign during World War One At the time he was suffering from depression having been sacked as First Lord of the Admiralty following the disastrous Gallipoli campaign. He took up painting as a therapy to help overcome his mental health issues. He often carried his paints and easel when travelling as Prime Minister during the Second World War Churchill's 1916 oil on canvas painting features the lush green pine trees of the chine in the foreground, the blue water of Poole Bay and the white cliffs of Old Harry Rocks beyond. He gifted the painting to Sir Ernest Cassel, a close friend who he was staying with during a seaside holiday in Bournemouth at the time. The 20in by 23.5ins work remained in the Cassel family until it was sold by London auctioneers Bonhams. Christopher Dawson, Bonhams head of modern British and Irish Art, said: 'Winston Churchill's paintings have a wide and growing appeal. Churchill, pictured with his pet terrier and his brother Jack at his aunt Cornelia's home in Canford, near Bournemouth in 1892 Churchill recalled running onto a 'rustic bridge nearly 50 yards long' across the chine while being chased by his 12-year-old brother and 14-year-old cousin. Rather than face 'capture' by his playmates at either end of the bridge, Churchill jumped, intending to slide down one of the pine trees to the ground He gifted the painting to Sir Ernest Cassel, a close friend who he was staying with during a seaside holiday in Bournemouth at the time 'They are particularly popular with British and American collectors, prized not only for their aesthetic qualities but also the connection they offer to one of the great figures of 20th century history. 'Branksome Dene is a truly important early work that combines Churchill's passion for painting and the sea, drawing together his personal and political life.' Winston Churchill was a frequent visitor to the Dorset seaside in his youth, staying with his aunt, Lady Wimborne, at her estate in Bournemouth. In his 1930 memoir My Early Life, Churchill wrote: 'Forty or fifty acres of pine forest descended by sandy undulations terminating in cliffs to the smooth beach of the English Channel. It was a small, wild place and through the middle there fell to the sea level a deep cleft called a 'chine'. Churchill recalled running onto a 'rustic bridge nearly 50 yards long' across the chine while being chased by his 12-year-old brother and 14-year-old cousin. Rather than face 'capture' by his playmates at either end of the bridge, Churchill jumped, intending to slide down one of the pine trees to the ground. Instead, he fell the full height and was seriously injured. Churchill the painter Winston Churchill began painting during World War One after he was sacked following the disastrous Gallipoli campaign which he had supported as First Lord of the Admiralty. He began painting in June 1915 while on holiday in Sussex along with his sister-in-law Lady Gwendoline 'Goonie' Churchill. Churchill had hired a house and Goonie introduced the future PM to painting - a hobby he would continue until old age. Winston Churchill completed the 'Tower of the Koutoubia Mosque' during the Second World War and gifted it to President Roosevelt in 1943 following the Casablanca conference Churchill, pictured in Miami Beach, Florida at his easel in February 1946, completed more than 500 paintings during his career The politician's artworks are highly collectable such as Blue Grass, La Capponcina, pictured This 1921 artwork, The Moat, Breccles, was gifted to Aristotle Onassis by Churchill in 1961. It was later sold after being in storage for 40 years for more than £1.3 million He completed more than 500 pictures - many of which included his Goldfish pond at Chartwell. He was most fond of oils, writing: 'Just to paint is great fun. The colours are lovely to look at and delicious to squeeze out.' Though Churchill was reelected to Parliament in 1924 and later became Britain's wartime prime minister, he was known to set up his easel outdoors to capture the grounds of his country home in Kent. He would also work during his travels to Egypt, Italy, Morocco, and the south of France, among other locations. Famously, Churchill painted his 'Tower of the Koutoubia Mosque' during World War Two, before gifting it to President Roosevelt in 1943, after the Casablanca Conference, as an act of goodwill between the two nations. US President Dwight D Eisenhower was also so taken by Churchill's paintings that he decided to try the hobby for himself, and even set up a studio in the White House - reportedly the only US president to do so. Share or comment on this article: All rights reserved for this news site (dailymail) and under his responsibility