74 discoverbritainmag.comWITLEY COURTchime on the hour from April to September, sending gallons of
water in graceful arcs 90 feet into the air. The fountain cost more
than £1 million to construct in 1853, featuring 120 separate water
jets hidden amongst sea nymphs, dolphins and a giant sea serpent.
The American singer and actor Bing Crosby was said to be so taken
with the fountain that he later tried to acquire it for his Hollywood
home. “The sadness of the fire-damaged façade is offset by the
colours of the garden. The displays of blooms still bring the place to
life,” says Jasmine Hinchcliffe, head gardener at Witley. “The south
and east parterre gardens are a real nod to the past with some 4,500
plants, and as many again bulbs, offering magnificent displays in
both the spring and autumn, many of them derived from the
original plants of the Victorian era.”
Today the year-round display of
colour spreads across some 40 acres
of grounds, heading from the
entrance via the wilderness garden
and skirting the lake to the formal
gardens with the majestic façade of
the house beyond. The wilderness
garden was redesigned in 2002 as
part of the Contemporary Heritage Garden scheme. English
Heritage restored the south and east parterres around the same
time to convey a revived sense of their Victorian glory. The gardens
are also home to a number of rare variety of rhododendrons, some
of which are sole survivors from the Victorian era. “The gardens
are now the main draw for visitors,” says Hinchcliffe. “For me,
cutting the lawns in the morning before the visitors arrive, I find
a tremendous sense of peace and tranquility here,” she adds.
Just beyond the forecourt of the house, alongside what would
have been the former kitchens, is one of the finest Baroque
churches in Britain. The Great Witley Parish Church of St Michaeland All Angels was built around 1735 when the Foleys owned the
estate. Despite its elaborate interior, the church was never actually
a private family chapel but, rather, a community hub for the estate
that shared the ornate styling of the nearby house. The church was
transformed in 1747 when the 2nd Baron Foley added 10 stained-
glass windows and the oil-on-canvas paintings to the curved ceiling,
purpose built to hold the central painting, The Ascension.
Tragedy struck at Witley Court on the night of 7 September 1937,
when a devastating fire destroyed around one third of the overall
property. It was subsequently sold to demolition contractors prior to
the Second World War, the company hawking off elements of the
building and estate. It was a tragic demise that, in reality, had begun
in 1920 when Lady Dudley tragically
drowned during a visit to Ireland.
The 2nd Earl sold the estate as a
result and the new owners began to
sell off parts to raise the huge funds
necessary to maintain the property.
As to the future, plans to maintain
the property and enhance the visitor
experience are ongoing in the hands
of English Heritage. “We are working on the interpretation side,
using a bank of historic photos to bring to life the human stories
of the people who lived there,” says Bartlett. “We would also
love to restore the Flora Fountain to working order to complete
the gardens.”
Witley Court may have seen better days but it’s reassuring to
know that, despite its trials and tribulations over the years, hope
springs eternally in the gardens as they change with the seasons.
The renaissance of one of England’s greatest stately ruins seems
assured for many generations to come. ■
http://www.english-heritage.org.uk➤CHRONICLE/ALAMY“Witley Court was one of
England’s preeminent properties,
comparable in its grandeur to the
home of Queen Victoria”
The desolate ruins of Witley
Court are brought to life by
the colourful gardens070-074_DB_Witley Court_AprMay.indd 74 25/02/2020 14:4374 discoverbritainmag.com
WITLEY COURT
chime on the hour from April to September, sending gallons of
water in graceful arcs 90 feet into the air. The fountain cost more
than £1 million to construct in 1853, featuring 120 separate water
jets hidden amongst sea nymphs, dolphins and a giant sea serpent.
The American singer and actor Bing Crosby was said to be so taken
with the fountain that he later tried to acquire it for his Hollywood
home. “The sadness of the fire-damaged façade is offset by the
colours of the garden. The displays of blooms still bring the place to
life,” says Jasmine Hinchcliffe, head gardener at Witley. “The south
and east parterre gardens are a real nod to the past with some 4,500
plants, and as many again bulbs, offering magnificent displays in
both the spring and autumn, many of them derived from the
original plants of the Victorian era.”
Today the year-round display of
colour spreads across some 40 acres
of grounds, heading from the
entrance via the wilderness garden
and skirting the lake to the formal
gardens with the majestic façade of
the house beyond. The wilderness
garden was redesigned in 2002 as
part of the Contemporary Heritage Garden scheme. English
Heritage restored the south and east parterres around the same
time to convey a revived sense of their Victorian glory. The gardens
are also home to a number of rare variety of rhododendrons, some
of which are sole survivors from the Victorian era. “The gardens
are now the main draw for visitors,” says Hinchcliffe. “For me,
cutting the lawns in the morning before the visitors arrive, I find
a tremendous sense of peace and tranquility here,” she adds.
Just beyond the forecourt of the house, alongside what would
have been the former kitchens, is one of the finest Baroque
churches in Britain. The Great Witley Parish Church of St Michael
and All Angels was built around 1735 when the Foleys owned the
estate. Despite its elaborate interior, the church was never actually
a private family chapel but, rather, a community hub for the estate
that shared the ornate styling of the nearby house. The church was
transformed in 1747 when the 2nd Baron Foley added 10 stained-
glass windows and the oil-on-canvas paintings to the curved ceiling,
purpose built to hold the central painting, The Ascension.
Tragedy struck at Witley Court on the night of 7 September 1937,
when a devastating fire destroyed around one third of the overall
property. It was subsequently sold to demolition contractors prior to
the Second World War, the company hawking off elements of the
building and estate. It was a tragic demise that, in reality, had begun
in 1920 when Lady Dudley tragically
drowned during a visit to Ireland.
The 2nd Earl sold the estate as a
result and the new owners began to
sell off parts to raise the huge funds
necessary to maintain the property.
As to the future, plans to maintain
the property and enhance the visitor
experience are ongoing in the hands
of English Heritage. “We are working on the interpretation side,
using a bank of historic photos to bring to life the human stories
of the people who lived there,” says Bartlett. “We would also
love to restore the Flora Fountain to working order to complete
the gardens.”
Witley Court may have seen better days but it’s reassuring to
know that, despite its trials and tribulations over the years, hope
springs eternally in the gardens as they change with the seasons.
The renaissance of one of England’s greatest stately ruins seems
assured for many generations to come. ■
http://www.english-heritage.org.ukCHRONICLE/ALAMY“Witley Court was one of
England’s preeminent properties,
comparable in its grandeur to the
home of Queen Victoria”
The desolate ruins of Witley
Court are brought to life by
the colourful gardens