A PAIR of 16th century paintings which were bought when Dyrham Park was being built have been re-hung in the country mansion house.

The two pictures, by Willem Van Den Bundel, were discovered by the National Trust on a list of lots at auctioneers Sotherbys.

Park estate manager Dale Dennehy said: "They are both pictures of landscapes.

"They are important to us because they came from here. They are indigenous to Dyrham Park."

The pictures were bought by the National Trust, which took over running Dyrham Park in the 1950s, for £24,000.

Van Den Bundel is thought to have completed both works in 1623.

The Dutch pictures were bought by William Blathwayt, the Secretary of State to King William III, who gained high office because of his fluency in Dutch.

When building his Gloucestershire home, Blathwayt regularly travelled to Amsterdam for paintings, furniture and earthenware. He was forced to sell the Van Den Bundel paintings in 1765 when he ran into financial difficulty.

The pictures have now been put back on display in a drawing room in the house and are available for public viewing.