Witley Court is located in Worcestershire. I visited so many times as a child, as we lived not too far away. It was always so atmospheric, a little bit eerie, but I always felt comfortable there. A lot of money was spent on Witley. The gardens have been restored beautifully and a Gilded top has been put back on one of the roof towers. The magnificent fountains are now in working order.
A brief History.
The earliest record of ownership was in 1100 when a survey documented that the property belonged to William de Beauchamp. Historical documents show that the Cooksey family owned a home at the location from the 13 century to the 15th. The estate then passed to a relative, Robert Russell. By 1600 the Russell family had built a large Jacobean brick house. This was the building that would eventually be known as Witley court.
In 1655 the estate was sold to ironmaster Thomas Foley, it stayed in the family for the next 182 years. During this time the house and land saw many extensions and changes.
The golden years.
In 1833 the Foleys sold the Witley estate to the trustees of William Ward, the 11th Baron of Birmingham and later the 1st Earl of Dudley. William Ward, who was still a minor, was one of the richest men in England. The first earl loaned the court to Queen Adelaide, the widow of King William IV.
Wiliam Humble Ward, second Earl of Dudley, inherited the court from his father. During this time, it was the go-to place for lavish grand balls and hunting parties. The Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) and his circle were regular guests here. However, this was all brought to an end when the Earl’s wife, Rachel Anne Gurney, drowned while away on holiday.
Things seemed to take a downward turn from this point on. The Earl sold it to Sir Herbert Smith, who was a carpet manufacturer. Part of the house was no longer used and it started to lose its glamour and splendour.
The fire that changed it all.
On September 7th, 1937 at 8 p.m. a fire, which was believed to have originated from the basement bakery engulfed the house. At the time only a few servants were there, they tried to tackle the fire, but the fire pump which was connected to the fountain had not been in use for years. As a result, part of the house was destroyed. The insurance companies would not pay out, so the house was sadly sold off in lots.
An abandoned haunted house?
There are so many tales of ghost stories and legends associated with Witley Court. A man and his dog were said to have died in the fire. I have been unable to find any record to validate this. However, People have stated that they have heard a dog bark, only to find no dog in the area. One such person who claimed to hear this was Bob Dylan, who did a ghost hunt there while he was on tour locally.
Ghostly balls are said to take place in what was once the ballroom, Which to be honest would not surprise me; you can almost feel the energy in this area.
Ghostly figures have been seen all around the house, this includes a female figure in the upper windows, despite there being no upper floor!
Is it haunted? I believe the echoes of the past are still held in its walls, and from time to time, maybe… just maybe people who had fond memories of the place come back to visit.
A strange event.
I recently visited Witley court with my husband Paul. I have not been since it was taken over by English Heritage. It looks very different now from how I remembered it. Back then, there were no formal gardens and it was quite overgrown. I was very excited about my revisit and told Paul I couldn’t wait to show him the stone lions. I knew exactly where they were. They were by the steps, on plinths, overlooking the fountain. I knew there were four, I remember one was asleep and one had scary eyes!
When I got there, I found they were not where I thought they were. Thinking I had just made a mistake and they were actually in a different location; Paul went and asked a guide. I explained that I used to visit when I was a child and I remembered them. The guide looked at me oddly and said –
“you remember them?”
” Yes,” I replied.
To which he said, “They were removed and sold at auction in 1938 and are now at Harlaxton Manor”.
I never wanted the ground to open up so much in all my life. I was not born until 44 years later, there was no way I could have remembered them let alone seen them.
However, I was shocked by what the guide said next. “ I remember them too”. Feeling a little better that he didn’t think I was a complete and utter weirdo, we discussed what we ‘remembered ‘about them. He remembered sitting on them. I remember feeling quite scared of them.
My mum who had been going to Witley court a lot longer than me also remembered them, However, she too was not born until many years after were removed.
I am really not sure where I got this memory from. When we used to visit there were no plaques or signs showing you where things would have been. There certainly were not any photos. Witley Court was just an abandoned old manor house
There could be a simple explanation for this, but as of yet, I can not find one.I feel Witley has many secrets, and the whispers of legends and tales keep it alive.
The Lions of Witley Court.
The lions are now at Harlaxton manor. I wish they could go back to Witley!
