witley court & gardens

The grandeur of the skeleton building is amazing and the grounds are lovely to wander through.The fountain is most impressive when fired up!

We loved everything...A building and gardens steeped in history, Lots to read about too and audio if required. Well worth popping into the Church too, A little bit of a suprize it is beautiful.could have had the coffee shop open on such a warm day although Hot and cold drinks were available from the gate house.

Various walks to be enjoyed in woodlands and by the Lake. Great children s adventure playground built around the trees. The ruins of the Court and grounds including the fountains allow your mind to wander and think what it would be like if still a thriving house.

We are shortly coming up to the time that the Rhododendron and Azalea gardens will be in their full glory Being members of English Heritage we have free access but is is well worth the entrance fee to Witley Court merely to view the preceding gardens alone. Tarmaced paths which are well signposted will lead you around the different areas of the gardens on the entrance side of the lake There is a gift shop, conveniences and a children's climbing play area. Having finally arrived at the Court itself there are well laid out parterre gardens and the fountain itself which operates on the hour for a full 15 minutes and to quite a height too (except 1pm) The Court itself once occupied by The Earl of Dudley is in ruins after a fire. Audio information from handsets is available in addition to display panels to show you the building's former glory. The Church which is next to the Court is open, free access, and Is gloriously decorated in a heavy barque style. If you are hungry a handily signposted garden restaurant is near by which offers a fine selection of food. Overall a grand day out

Great day out. Have been going there for decades but now there are audio tours, a visitor centre and a car park. Really nice day out. Go to the church next door for a history of the place and next door to that is a lovely English Tea Shop where you can sit in the gardens surrounded by birds in the summer. We have a family day out here every year.

This is just a shell of a stately home that was burnt down in the 1930's. There is a pretty lake and a play area.

What a fabulous place, as we are members of English heritage we visited Witley court. It must have been an amazing place before the fire destroyed it. The fountain was worth the visit, have never seen one like it. Well worth a look.

Must do this again early summertime as we missed a lot of the gardens beauty and the fabulous water features .What a magnificent house & a credit to the architect, the building's walls were made to last with massive lintels for the ceiling's ,2 to 3 foot thick walls ,everything was done to last until the great fire that devastated the place ,take a look from the fountain to imagine how splendid it was. We visited the church and the crypt ,had a snack at the tea room ,and then a long walk around the lake and gardens.Hope the English Heritage keep up the good work preserving the place.

We have known Great Witley for 40 years, and have watched its transformation from seriously neglected ruin to "managed ruin" with utter fascination. When we first visited in 1975 the park was a cross between a swamp and a jungle, the ruin crumbling and vandalised almost weekly, the gardens non-existent, the fountains vandalised... nothing sadder could be imagined. We have visited several times this summer and autumn, simply because what has been re-created is breathtaking. Of course the wonderful house can never be re-instated - but what has been done, and is still being done, is sterling work. And the fountains are a joy to behold!

this is a massive site to walk around alough there is a drop off point nearer to the house you need to check the map if you wish to use this, the house was sadly burned down a number of years ago and now is only a shell but nether the less very interesting to wander around, the fountain is spectacular in the summer months it is fired on the hour every hour and runs for about 15 to 20 minutes, it starts off slow and builds up, be sure to visit the small parish church on the end of the house, we couldn't spend as much time here as we would like as there was a wedding taking place, the crypt is also worth a visit if you are lucky enough for it to be open, it was an extra £1 to go in monies from which go toward the on going restoration, this was very interesting being told about the family history and who is buried down there how it was pillaged many years ago , there are also plenty of nice woodland walks and you can quite easily spend a number of hours here

A great place for the whole family, interesting history, large open gardens with impressive restored fountains,

We visited on a beautiful October day and were so pleased that we made the journey. The gardens are lovely and must be spectacular when the rhodedendrons are in flower. The house is wonderful and, one advantage of the fire that devastated the place is that you can see through the layers of what was obviously a beautiful place. My tip is to buy the guide book and see the pictures that they have of the intact property and then let your imagination fill in the details.Do visit the adjoining church and treat yourselves to lunch/cakes in the wonderful garden tea rooms just down the lane. neither of the latter are English Heritage but there is no charge for the church and the tea rooms are very good value and high quality.My compliments to the EH staff who were wonderfully welcoming.

We have visited Witley Court on several occasions over the years, each time discovering something new and different. The English Heritage is gradually improving the estate, rennovating where they can and also making it more family friendly. That said, for me, an amateur photographer, a cool October Sunday was an almost ideal time to visit - few visitors to get in the way!The grounds are extensive, with a good many winding paths to wander along and appreciate the gardens, lake and 'wilderness' during the various seasons. There's now a kids' adventure playground too.The formal gardens and fountains are a real pleasure (the 'firing up' of the main fountain on the hour is well worth the visit on its own).Although the house itself is a gaunt ruin, the shell is imposing and gives a unique insight into the construction that lies beneath such places. A lot of it is currently railed off for safety and maintenance reasons, but there's still plenty to see.Do visit the church and also the nearby tearoom and garden: both well worth visiting for their own reasons.During my most recent visit I prowled round with my camera for 3hrs an still didn't get to see everything. However, I did brave the rather wet grass to discover the hidden boat house on the lake shore - its unique style is a 'must see'.If I get chance later in the autumn I really would like to return when the colours are more striking and maybe even fewer hardy souls are out in the chilly weather!The size of the place probably is a challenge for the infirm, but I did encounter one gentleman on his mobility scooter enjoying the grounds. It's probably wise to contact English Heritage for advice on that score.An audio guide is available for those wanting to supplement the information boards dotted around.

what a beautiful place. And its only a shell of its former self. gardens a perfect and the church is a must see. the fountain is worth a watch too.

What a wonderful place to visit. We weren't expecting much but we were very wrong. An astounding building and amazing grounds. I could quite happily stay here all day. It is an English heritage site and well worth a whole days visit. They turn on the fountain every hour and it is spectacular. There is plenty for all to do here. They cater for every one and dogs are allowed on leads. Would highly recommend you visit this site. You won't be disappointed. The staff were very friendly and helpful. You also can have a recorded guide which is a must if you want to know this buildings past.There is a cafe up near the churh but not part of the English heritage site.