The National Trust today announced that in the 2003/04 season, visitors to its properties in the Wessex Region passed the two million mark for the first time ever.

A total of 2,018,397 people were welcomed to the charity's pay for entry properties in Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, Somerset, and Dorset. The region also broke its own recruitment records, making 59,130 new National Trust members (generating vital additional funds for its conservation work). National Trust properties in Wiltshire are now gearing themselves up to re-open for 2004/5 with many of its well-known properties opening over the next two weeks.

Although the famous landscape gardens at Stourhead remain open all year, the mansion house opens for the first time this year on Friday 19 March. Throughout the season an exhibition, 'Women of Substance', supported by events and lectures, will provide an insight into the untold story of the Hoare family wives during their times at Stourhead. In addition, Stourhead will host around 100 other events this year, the highlight being the return of the Fete Champtre in July - with a theme of 'Love is in the Air', the evening promises to be a night to remember.

Lacock Abbey, the fine country house created from a medieval abbey re-opens on 27 March, and follows the opening of the Fox Talbot Museum of Photography on 1 March. A series of exhibitions held throughout the season starts in the Manager Barn with 'Hard Times' a look back at life in a Victorian workhouse.

At Avebury Manor, which opens on 4 April (gardens open 2 April), visitors will be able to admire the recently acquired embroidered looking-glass frame, worked by Leonora Jenner - a former resident of Avebury Manor. This extraordinary artwork is made out of raised work in silks, metallic thread, wire, beads, sequins and gold lace on silk, with a painted imitation tortoiseshell frame and includes, amongst the exquisite detail, a vignette of Avebury Manor.

Mompesson House, re-opens on 9 April. In 2004, following extensive internal reserving works and in response to visitor requests for more upstairs rooms to be open to the public, two additional rooms have been added to the visitor route. The first, the south-west bedroom, has been transformed from an office to reflect a ladies bedroom inspired by the memory of Barbara Townsend, a tenant of Mompesson from 1842 to 1939. The second, is being restored to reveal original panelling. In addition, Mompesson Hosue, together with the Salisbury Festival will host 'In Praise of Earth' an exhibition of painting and drawings by neo-romantic artists in search of the promised landscape. Among the artists represented are William Blake, Eric Ravillious and Samual Palmer.

Brendan McCarthy, Regional Director said: 'We are thrilled to have welcomed over 2 million visitors to our houses and gardens this year and want to thank all those who came to enjoy the region's fabulous properties. We are looking forward to seeing everyone again this season - a visit to a National Trust property is different every time you go back and there are lots of new reasons to visit in 2004"

Other properties opening soon include one of Wiltshire's best-kept secrets, The Courts, a delightful English county garden at Holt, nr Bradford on Avon, opening on 27 March. Wiltshire's little treasures - Great Chalfield Manor, nr Melksham opens on 30 March, Phillips House, nr Salisbury on 3 April, and Westwood Manor, nr Bradford on Avon, on 4 April. Little Clarendon, nr Salisbury, which opens on Bank Holiday Mondays throughout the summer, first opens on 3 May.

More details of all property opening times and events from 0870 458 4000 or the website www.nationaltrust.org.uk