Pictured: "Pride of the Peak District - East Lodge director Iain Hardman looks forward to Exhibition '2'

Following a highly successful exhibition of sculpture in 2010, multi award winning Rowsley hotel and restaurant East Lodge has once again joined forces with Derwent-Wye fine art to host 5 weeks of sculpture from some of the finest artists working in the UK today.

From Saturday 24 September until Saturday 29 October, East Lodge, together with four other local venues will be displaying a selection of stunning pieces from some of the nation's premier artists, transforming the Peak District once again into the UK's sculpture capital.

With 10 acres of grounds, East Lodge is the perfect environment in which to view sculpture and many of the pieces are already in situ and free of charge to view. Some of the artists whose works were displayed to such effect last year are once again on display, including Michael Thacker, Sylvia Worthington and the celebrated Cornish artist Ben Barrell, whose exploration of the relationships between sculpture and furniture has captured the imagination of thousands. Smaller studies are also on display, including Totemic figures from the Derwent-Wye's own John Basford.

"The sculptures are all in place and look absolutely stunning," explained East Lodge director Iain Hardman. "The exhibition was a great success last year and we are really looking forward to this year's event. We hope the exhibition will once again draw local and national people to view the works and in doing so, showcase the other attractions our region has to offer."

"Last year was the first time we devoted a whole exhibition to sculpture but the fact we are doing it again speaks for the success last year's event enjoyed," said John Basford, a director of Derwent-Wye. "Whether buying or just viewing, we hope people enjoy the exhibition and try to find time to treat themselves to the pleasures of the table at East Lodge, The Peacock and the other venues which have generously offered their grounds for the event."

As the closest hotel to Chatsworth, and one of the five sites chosen for the exhibition, East Lodge is the perfect place for art lovers and potential purchasers of the works to stay, while they take in both the sculptures and scenery that has made the Peak District justly famous. 

As well as being recognised as one of the finest hotels not just in the region but the UK, East Lodge is a popular venue for weddings, national conferencing and important business meetings, when only the very best will do. This exhibition of sculpture is just one more example of the variety of different events the hotel is booked for. Selected by Conde Nast as one of the three finalists in their "best venue hotel" award category, the hotel is situated within 10 acres of its own grounds, which means that there is ample room for the sculptures to be displayed and should art lovers wish to fly in from other parts of the country, arrival by helicopter is welcome. The secure nature of the building and grounds also makes East Lodge ideal for VIP visitors and exclusive use. 

East Lodge remains one of the top hotels and restaurants in the UK, with a prestigious range of accolades to its name. Owned by the Hardman family, East Lodge recently won gold at this year's East Midlands Tourism Awards and can also point to the coveted AA "Inspectors' Choice" Award, with three red stars for 2010 placing it within the top 150 hotels in the whole of the UK and East Lodge remains just one of 48 hotels in the country presented with a Visit England Gold Award.

The sculptures on display at East Lodge will be available to view Monday -Thursday from 10am to 6pm. The exhibition is completely free to enter and a catalogue of all the works being displayed across all five sites is available now. To find out more about staying at East Lodge or the forthcoming exhibition, call 01629 734474.