Walk around Witley Court and ghosts walk with you. Like many former country houses, it harks back to a different world, one of leisure and privilege. There are few traces of opulence left. In September 1937 a fire gutted the inner Witley, and all that remains is a shell. Perhaps.
Witley Court fire
Imagine stepping back 20 years. Drive past the lodge to Witley Court’s car park. It isn’t easy, the road is uneven and pitted with potholes. The journey’s short but it’s hard to forget. So is the view.
Witley Court is a vast space, bounded by stone. No roof, no glass, just scaffolding and girders. Not all of them are modern. The ones in the ballroom were melted in places by the fire. There are towers and a gallery but no stairs to get there, no paintings on the wall. The walls bear traces of charred wood.
The fire began in a basement bakery and spread quickly to the rooms above. Only the eastern and central parts of the building were damaged by the fire. But when the insurance didn’t cover rebuilding, the owner sold up, and time, vandalism and the stripping of assets has finished the job. No one has lived there since.
How Witley Court developed
The court started off as a modest property. A haunting photograph shows Jacobean Witley with houses in front, where gardens now stand. Successive owners transformed the house into something special. The Foleys, whose connections with Witley lasted nearly two centuries, made significant structural changes, one of which was to commission architect John Nash to add porticos to the building. The front-facing pillars of the north portico show horizontal lines where demolition workers tried to pull them down. But the pillars resisted.
Foley family
Thomas Foley sold the court in 1837 to clear his grandfather’s gambling debts. The Dudleys also undertook extensive work on the property (1854-60). The house was remodelled in the Italianate style, the exterior being recast in Bath stone to match the porticos. The modest conservatory was replaced with a beautiful orangery, with a curved glass roof, ornamental pond and fountain. The orangery was connected to the main house by a new wing. Elaborate gardens were designed by W A Nesfield. By the turn of the century, Witley Court was a huge estate, and like Titanic, a luxury liner which sank on its maiden voyage in 1912, reflected the age perfectly.
Dudley family
In 1891 the 2nd Earl of Dudley (William Ward) married banking heiress Rachel Anne Gurney. The couple had seven children. The Dudleys owned numerous properties and at the height of their prosperity held lavish parties at Witley Court, with the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) being a frequent guest. But Rachel and William were very different and they eventually separated in 1908. Their wealth was also on the decline and had been for a while. Rumour has it that at the foot of the main staircase were two great urns which were later found to be full of unpaid bills (White, 2008, p38). When Rachel died in 1920, Witley Court was sold.
The Dudley’s successor was Herbert (‘Piggy’) Smith. Also an industrialist, he came from a musical family and was a talented violin player. He installed electricity at Witley Court but became unpopular when he cut back on staff and closed local footpaths. He wasn’t at home on the night of the fire.
Historic preservation: Witley Court
Seventy years later, Witley Court has entered a new age. It’s still a ruin, but there are no longer trees growing in the house. Removal of overgrown vegetation at the front of the court revealed a large (artificial) lake. In the 16th century there were two lakes divided by a causeway, the number of lakes at that time being a guide to wealth. The lakes were later merged and the causeway removed when values changed and the size of a lake became more important. Visitors can now go on a number of walks, through woodland or by water, on their way to the Court.
Witley Court: a haunted house?
English Heritage, who have managed the estate since 1984, have undertaken extensive renovation. One story tells of a time when workmen were improving the drive at the front of the house. They arrived at work one morning to find the site had been vandalised. The foreman said to the site caretaker, ‘It’s a wonder that man up there didn’t see the vandals.’ The caretaker asked which man he meant. The foreman said, ‘The one with the white hair,’ pointing to a building which connects the church and the house. The caretaker replied, ‘You couldn’t have seen a man at that window. No-one lives or works up there. For a start, there’s no floor.’
Places to visit: Witley Court
Witley Court is alive today, as it was one hundred years ago. Go on the walks, discover the history and dance the length of the once glorious ballroom. Walk down the steps to the East Parterre, where people stood, drinking champagne. Imagine it all. Imagination and vision is a powerful combination. That’s why, thanks to its designers, architects and English Heritage, Witley Court now has a future, as well as a past.
Sources
Pardoe, Bill. Witley Court and Church: Life and Luxury in a Great Country House. Peter Huxtable Designs, 1986.
White, Roger. Witley Court. London: English Heritage, 2008.
White, Roger. Witley Court and Gardens. London: English Heritage, 2003.
Ellie Stevenson - Ellie writes on history, travel, careers & the arts. Her novel, Ship of Haunts (http://tinyurl.com/cyryp2m) is on Amazon as an ebook.
Join the Conversation