Norfolk, 26 April 2017: Norfolk reveals its creative side in the latest visitor guide from Congham Hall Hotel (01485 600250; www.conghamhallhotel.co.uk). Titled Six of the Best… Norfolk Art Experiences and available free to download from the hotel's website, it will introduce guests to some of the county's unexpected artistic highlights.

The guide is the latest initiative by Congham Hall to encourage guests to explore North and West Norfolk using the hotel as a base. Nicholas Dickinson, owner of Congham Hall, said: “Our hotel isn't just a great place to stay, it's a gateway to this wonderful area, too. We created this latest guide to share the extraordinary art treasures available on our doorstep for guests to enjoy at their own pace.”

The selection of art experiences curated by the owners of Congham Hall includes:

• Norfolk By Design, a pop-up exhibition with online shop showcasing the work of local artists and craftspeople throughout the summer at local stately home Houghton Hall, where a major seasonal display of the works of Turner Prize-winner Richard Long – Earth Sky – can also be viewed until September;
• GroundWork, the first gallery devoted to art and the environment, which recently opened in the Hanseatic port of King's Lynn;
• The Gunton Arms, a country pub where works by some of Britain's world-renowned contemporary artists, including Tracey Emin and Damien Hirst, can be browsed pint in hand;
• Country and Eastern and The South Asian Decorative Arts and Crafts Collection, an inspiring gallery-cum-shop packed with objects from Asia and the Far East, in Norwich's old Victorian
  ice- skating rink;
• Peter Coke Shell Gallery, an exquisite collection of shell art created by the former actor better known for playing Francis Durbridge's amateur sleuth Paul Temple on the radio in the 1950s;
• Congham Hall Hotel's own collection of art and sculptures, including objects for sale.

Six of the Best… Norfolk Art Experiences is the latest in a series of free self-guided itineraries that have proved very popular with guests, which also include The Magnificent Seven… Norfolk Garden Trail and the Fantastic Five… Norfolk Nature Trail.

Guests wishing to put Norfolk's art at the centre of a relaxing break can also benefit from a new 'Art Experiences' package specially created to accompany the new visitor guide. Congham Hall is offering two nights' dinner, bed and breakfast and two tickets to the Richard Long exhibition for £438 per room in total, available Monday to Thursday in May and June, subject to availability. 

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

For further information, images, or to arrange press trips, please email: travelnews@traveltappers.co.uk. Alternatively, contact Simone Kane on 07811 161839 and simone@traveltappers.co.uk and Kate Simon on 07939 526109 and kate@traveltappers.co.uk. Traveltappers is a trading name of Little Black Book Creative Ltd.

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 modernised, 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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