WRAXALL’S Tyntesfield estate has welcomed its millionth visitor since being opened to the public in 2002.

The property was acquired by the National Trust 10 years ago to save it from being auctioned off. Since then, the main house and estate buildings have been repaired and conserved, along with the estate’s unique collection of antique items.

On September 5, Susan Larkin from Sherborne in Dorset became the millionth visitor to be welcomed to the Victorian estate during a visit with her 11-year-old grandson Alfie Atkins and her parents, Derrick and Betty Hall from Durham.

Tyntesfield’s gothic mansion was first opened to the public just 10 weeks after it was acquired by the National Trust and visitors have been able to look on as years of work have been carried out to restore the building and other areas of the estate to their former glory.

Now, some work continues, including the restoration of the Orangery, and the trust is starting to conserve the huge collection of objects amassed by the Gibbs family who lived on the estate for many years.

General manager Anna Russell said: “We have involved our visitors and volunteers in every aspect of our work over the past ten years and their ongoing interest and support has made it the huge success it is today.

“It is a huge tribute to the whole team here that we have managed to welcome so many people not just to see Tyntesfield but to witness the process as room by room we have repaired and conserved everything to the highest standards.”

As part of the continuing work at the estate, a new project for this year entitled Tyntesfield Unpacked aims to tell the story of the Gibbs family by highlighting some of the 50,000 items from the collection never seen before.

The catalogue of objects is also being uploaded to a website at www.nationaltrustcollections.org.uk where the public can view items kept by the family.