Worcester Witley Court and Gardens

(Worcester, Worcestershire, England, UK)



Picture of the ruined mansionOne of the most famous and truly unique landmarks in Worcestershire, Witley Court is Grade-I listed and when built in 1655, was amongst England's finest stately homes. In the late 18th century, the gardens were landscaped as a typical parkland, and soon afterwards, substantial extensions and alterations to the house were commissioned.

After changing hands several times over subsequent years, Witley Court was sadly ravaged by fire in 1937 and simply left for 70 years, falling into ruin and quite simply beyond repair. Great Witley Church is the only building to remain intact here and is still attached to the main building.


Rear view of the mansion and formal gardens

Worcester Witley Court and Gardens: The Gardens and Fountains

A particular feature of Worcester's much-loved Witley Court is the immense fountains, with the 1853 Poseidon Fountain centrepiece being the largest and now once again in working order, using modern, electric pumps. In its heyday, this fountain was gravity fed from a high lake more than a mile away, and when switched on, it was said that the ground thundered as the water surged down the buried tunnels and pipe work to power its 130 jets (there are only 29 remaining today), the largest of which now towers almost 30 metres / 100 feet in height.

The fountain was generally only used for special occasions though, since it required so much water that it would drain the entire lake in just two hours, after which it would take almost four solid days to fill this lake up again, using a steam-driven pump connected to a lower lake.

Photo of the famous Poseidon FountainThe original plans of the landscaped formal gardens of Witley Court have recently been unearthed and gardeners are currently in the process of redesigning and re-landscaping the grounds, to realise this vision once more.

Witley Court and Gardens
Address: Great Witley, Near Worcester, Worcestershire, WR6 6JT, England, UK
Tel: +44 01299 896636
Open hours: daily, March, April to June, September and October - 10:00 to 17:00; July and August - 10:00 to 18:00; November to February - 10:00 to 16:00
Admission: charge, discounts for children, members of the English Heritage are free