Norfolk, 6 March 2018: Congham Hall Hotel (01485 600250; www.conghamhallhotel.co.uk) in Norfolk has relaunched its free art trail to coincide with an exhibition of paintings by Damien Hirst at nearby stately home Houghton Hall. The independent trail, Six of the Best Norfolk Art Experiences, will be accompanied by a special two-night package at a 10 per cent discount.

Colour Space, a new series of paintings by Hirst, will be on display to the public for the first time in the State Rooms at Houghton Hall from 25 March to 15 July (Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays and Bank Holiday Mondays, timed tickets, pre-booking essential). Sculptures by Hirst will also be installed in the park and house, including Virgin Mother (2005-2006). They will sit alongside the permanent display of art installations at Houghton by globally recognised contemporary artists including James Turrell and Rachel Whiteread. At the same time, Norfolk By Design will return to Houghton's stables, a pop-up shop featuring some of Norfolk's finest artists and designer-makers.

The Hirst exhibition will be one of six recommended venues on the trail for art lovers to discover under their own steam. Others include GroundWork Gallery in King's Lynn, the UK's first gallery dedicated to art and the environment, and The Old Skating Rink Gallery in Norwich, which runs a rotating exhibition of its collection of more than 4,000 decorative furnishings and garments gathered from Turkey to east of Java. The trail is available free on the hotel's website and in hard copy form from reception.

Congham Hall created the art trail, now in its third year, because of its own interest in the subject. A collection of art and sculpture is on display around the hotel for guests to enjoy, such as Norfolk-based Rachel Lockwood's painting The Night Hunters in the Writing Room. Work by some of the artists featured at Congham Hall can be purchased at Pinkfoot Gallery in Cley next the Sea.

Congham Hall's Art Experiences Offer is a two-night midweek break, from £412.20 per room for a two-night stay based on two sharing, including dinner, bed and breakfast, a 10 per cent saving on usual prices. The offer is available every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 28 March to 12 July. Please quote 'Art Trail' when booking.

Follow developments at Congham Hall Hotel on Twitter: @Congham_Hall and at www.facebook.com/ConghamHallHotel. For information on Norfolk, go to www.visitnorfolk.co.uk

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Notes to editors: 

Room rates start from £135 per night, room only, and £219 per night for dinner, bed and breakfast.

Relaunched in May 2013, the 26-room Congham Hall Hotel sits in 30 acres of parkland, including orchards and its renowned Herb Garden, which has 400-plus varieties and attracts visitors from far and wide. The 2 AA Rosette, bistro-style restaurant features much homegrown produce on its menu and benefits from a sophisticated bar.

Congham Hall offers five-star service at three-star prices, in stylish but relaxed surroundings. It won Best Hotel in the East at the Best Loved Hotels Awards 2015, and has been recognised several times by the Eastern Daily Press/VisitNorfolk.co.uk Tourism Awards, winning Best Adult Leisure Break in 2015 and Best Independent Hotel in 2013. Congham Hall was also named Best Small Hotel in the UK at the International Hotel Awards in November 2012. 

Nicholas Dickinson and his team took over Congham Hall in March 2012. The hotel relaunched in May 2013 after completing the last phase of a major refurbishment. Nicholas has spent his entire working life in the luxury hotel business. Early on, he worked at the five-star country-house hotel Chewton Glen and Raymond Blanc's two-Michelin-starred restaurant and hotel, Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons. In 1994, Nicholas formed a partnership with Nigel Chapman, who had developed Woolley Grange in Wiltshire. Together, they created Luxury Family Hotels, which soon became the market leader in the UK for luxury family short breaks, and Alias Hotels, for the stylish mid-market corporate and leisure sectors. Both groups were successfully sold, and Nicholas and Nigel went on to develop Martinhal Resort on Portugal's Algarve. This is Nicholas's first independent hotel project.

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