THE Coniston Hotel Country Estate and Spa has celebrated a special anniversary with the commissioning of a unique set of paintings.

It will be 50 years ago in August when Michael Bannister bought the Coniston Estate, which included thousands of acres of land, several properties and farms, and a lake. Since then, the family has established the award winning hotel and spa.

And to mark the event, the Coniston commissioned local artist, Linda Mellin, named Yorkshire Life's landscape painter of the year in 2017, to create a series of artworks celebrating the estate, which was unveiled at recent preview at the hotel.

Linda, who was brought up on a Dales farm, and has a background in graphic design, draws inspiration from her love of the countryside. Her Coniston collection shows the estate through the seasons, highlighting all of its prominent features such as the lake, the spa and the surrounding countryside.

Michael Bannister, chairman of The Coniston Hotel Country Estate and Spa said:“This is a truly exciting year for us as we celebrate the 50th year of the Coniston Estate and we felt it was extremely important to mark the occasion. Over 12 months ago my son, Nick, was first introduced to Linda’s work at a gallery in Skipton while shopping for a birthday present for his dear mum. Nick was then put in touch with Linda who grew up in the area and has many happy memories of The Coniston over the years.

“We are absolutely delighted with the artwork that Linda has created for us. The artwork showcases the estate at its best throughout the seasons, with the main piece now proudly on display in the hotel reception. The seasonal pieces will also be used on our Huntsman’s Lodge menus for guests to enjoy. We can’t thank Linda enough for her incredible work – she really has done the estate proud.”

Linda added: “The Coniston estate has been part of my life for many years, so when Nick approached me about this special commission I was incredibly excited. It’s been wonderful to work with the Bannister family and team at The Coniston to capture the estate and my wonderful personal memories in these paintings. “ Her work will be on display in Huntsman’s Lodge at The Coniston for the next two months, while prints and merchandise will be available from The Coniston Shop.