Once one of the great houses of Worcestershire, Witley Court was left a smoking ruin after a fire in 1937. It is now a picturesque ruin in the care of English Heritage but when I first lived in Worcester nearly thirty years ago it was splendid place for a picnic - once you had forced your way through the brambles.
The house which was built by the Foley family had been enlarged and rebuilt over many centuries, particularly by the later owners, the Ward family. The cellar, not normally open to the public has Tudor barrel vaulted ceilings where wine was kept and a Victorian plunge bath constructed for the master of the house. It also has what could be the remains of a small chapel, part of which seems to be hewn out of the red sandstone bedrock.
The two hundred rooms in the house were warmed by 13 tons of coal burnt daily and carried to the fireplaces by a team of 16 people. The magnificent ballroom, where the fire started, boasted crystal chandeliers and at Christmas, a tree reputed to be hung with real gems!
King Edward VII was frequent visitor and one tower towards the west of the building was known as `the cuckoo's nest' for it was here that he entertained his lady friends away from the main part of the house. Although it is nearly 70 years since the house was destroyed there are still people with tales to tell. One old man informed me that as a child he used to creep in through a hole and he and his friends would play games in the old cellars.
The grounds are formal and boast the impressive Poseidon fountain which Walt Disney attempted to buy at one time. Thanks to a small group it has now been put in working order again but only on special occasions. It was so cleverly constructed that the head of water needed also provided the thrust required for the other fountains to the side of the house.
Can you create more words or pictures for this or another page? You don't have to be an expert. Borrow a book from the library to get the basics of your subject , but write in your own words and add a little something to make it special. 100-300 words would be enough for your first piece: this short note is more than 100. You can always add more later! Any photo you took or has been in your family for years is a possibility. Is there something distinctively local about it - not necessarily the place, but perhaps the people, what they are wearing or doing? Send it by email to whe@freeuk.com, or by post to Worcester Writers' Circle c/o Worcester Library, Foregate Street, Worcester WR1 1DT.