A PAINTER has hailed the “tremendous success” of his treasure hunt in Chepstow this weekend.

Harry Harrison, 36, wanted to give families a reason to enjoy the outdoors by offering his oil painting of Chepstow Castle, hidden in a mystery location, as the ultimate treasure.

Participants solved clues and uncovered “hidden history gems” on a hunt across the historic town, starting at 2pm, Sunday, September 24, at the Chepstow Club on Moor Street.

They also raised funds for cerebral palsy charities – a cause Mr Harrison says has a “special place in his heart” because his daughter has left-sided hemiplegia.

“I’m thrilled to say we had not just one but four winners. The first-place prize was the original painting of Chepstow Castle. Second and third place received prints of my artwork.

“The Coach and Horses pub generously joined in, offering a last-minute fourth place prize – a delightful meal for two, which was a wonderfully kind gesture.

South Wales Argus: Four winning teams

“The biggest smiles of the day were on the faces of Ian Gilmore and his family, who emerged as the ultimate winners. They were overjoyed to take home the painting.”

The secret location was Chepstow Museum – home of the JWM Turner castle painting – where Mr Harrison was ready to hand out the prizes to the winning teams.

“I would like to thank Phil Collins, the vice chairman of the Chepstow Club, who runs a fantastic pub quiz. His flair for setting quiz questions and solving cryptic crossword puzzles made him the best man for putting this together," he said.

Impressed with the public participation, the artist wants to repeat the feat with more prizes from local businesses, adding: “It’s good fun!”