Tag: Downton Abbey

A visit behind the scenes at Witley Court, Worcestershire

Witley Court: the great fountain via Flickr

A winter trip behind the scenes at one of England’s great stately homes brought a touch of Downton to January.

I was on assignment for Discover Britain magazine and here’s a preview of the feature in a forthcoming issue:

It was one of the great British country estates.

Set in extensive private grounds in rural Worcestershire, the house would have been alive with music and laughter in its Victorian heyday.

But the glamour of those society soirées, once frequented by the Prince of Wales, the later King Edward VII, has long since faded.

Today Witley Court is one of Britain’s most spectacular ruins, the fire-damaged structure an eerie reminder of its former glory.

Only the gardens, restored by English Heritage some 20 years ago, still display the vital signs of a quintessential English stately home.

Louise Bartlett, Senior Properties Curator for English Heritage, says:

You can still get a sense of the grandeur of the place, although you will have to use your imagination to conjure up the atmosphere of the house in its prime from the mid to late 1800s.”

More here.