Witley Church Windows - 18th November 2010

Today saw the installation of the first protective panel on the exterior of the "Anunciation" window in the parish church. These unique set of ten painted & enamelled glass lights, the work of Joshua Price of York, were made in 1719 and are in need of constant care and attention in order to keep then in their immaculate condition. The P.C.C. have therefore decided that, in order of priority, each window will be protected externally by a panel of special transparent glass-fibre, in order to prevent damage from the weather. Over the next few months each window in turn will be thus treated and also monitoring equipment will be installed in the church to check the windows' condition. Hopefully these measures will help to prolong the life of this historically important asset for decades to come.

Peter Gurney of Shakenhurst

High up on the hill near Neen Sollars on the Worcs./Shrops. border stands the memorial to Peter Hugh Gurney of nearby Shakenhurst Hall. The Gurney's lived here for most of the twentieth century and were close relatives of Rachel, the Countess of Dudley from nearby Witley Court. Photo's by Rob & Anne Wall.

Rachel & Laura Gurney

Rachel Gurney (later the Countess of Dudley) and her sister Laura (later Lady Troubridge) were frequent visitors to Little Holland House in Kensington in their childhood days, as this house was the home of their grandfather Henry Thoby Prinsep who set up an artists and photographer's studio here. The house became the workshop of famous Victorian era artists such as G.F.Watts, and Henry's sister-in-law Julia Margaret Cameron. This is a picture of the two Gurney sisters by Watts.

Witley Court - P.F.R.S. Behind the Scenes

Poseidon Fountain Restoration Society visit to Witley Court, "behind the scenes" tour of the main service block buildings which lie adjacent to the court itself. This area is not normally open to the public and the society is most grateful to Spencer Trickett of English Heritage in kindly arranging this event in his capacity as site operations manager. Approximately twenty members together with some of their families came along to enjoy the day.

The statue of William Ward, 1st Earl of Dudley stands in Dudley town centre, below the ancestral home of the old castle. It has been moved very slightly from it's original position due to road alterations some years ago. The statue was carved by C.B.Birch and was unveiled by the earl's widow, Countess Georgina, in 1888.

Badges and Buttons

Ruth Butler has a small collection of coat buttons from domestic servants uniform and a cap badge from an item of military uniform of the Worcestershire Yeomanry. These artifacts display the Earl of Dudley's crest and motto.

Poseidon Fountain Restoration Society - 9th September 2010

The P.F.R.S. quarterly meeting was held at the English Heritage education services centre at Witley Court, courtesy of site manager Spencer Trickett. The highlight of the well attended meeting was provided by society secretary Rod Sproat who brought along three carved wooden figurines he had recently acquired from a collector of Wiltley Court memorabilia. These items originally came from the library at the court and were part of a set of about a dozen or more that were salvaged from the remains of the building after the fire in September 1937. They were carved by the Forsyth brothers, William and James, and though damaged by scorching and smoke they are in quite good condition. The exquisite work by these two highly talented artisans is still all there to be seen in all its splendour despite their age and condition. They may at some future point in time be put on display for the benefit of the visiting public. Spencer Trickett and Ruth Butler also provided table displays which members found of interest.

Linnaeus Baroque Ensemble

The Linnaeus Baroque Ensemble were at Great Witley parish church today as part of the 5 o'clock Sunday recital programme for 2010. Musical director John Jenkin introduced the soloists who make up the quartet who then gave the church audience a brilliant hours worth of varied chamber music works by Handel, Bach, Roman and Telemann. Many thanks go to John Jenkin and John Swindells for their hard work and dedication in organising these free concerts.

Linnea Markgren - Soprano

Sara Wilander - Harpsichord

Lucia Capellaro -Violin-Cello

Maria Larsson - Violin

Sunday 20th June 2010 - Wightwick Manor, nr. Wolverhampton.

A visit to the National Trust owned Wightwick Manor near Wolverhampton. This fine late Victorian house was built for Theodore Mander the head of the famous paint manufacturing firm and was extended soon afterwards in a roughly late Tudor style. The house contains much decorative work by William Morris and a large collection of art predominately from the Pre-Raphaelite and the Arts & Crafts/Aesthetic Movements. Well worth a visit.

19th & 20th June 2010 - Himley Church fete and Remembrance Garden open weekend

The 19th & 20th June saw the church of St. Michael & All Angels, Himley hold thier open weekend and summer fete. The Ward family private Garden of Remembrance was also open, the only weekend of the year where the public are allowed to view the last resting place of the Earl's of Dudley and thier family. As usual Mr Gilbert Guest, the now retired gardener, was on hand to chat to the people who came to view the burial ground.

Visit to Witley Parish Church by our friends from Himley

Today a party of around twenty people from Himley paid a visit to Great Witley to view the parish church. The group consisted of historical researchers and their friends from the other "Dudley" family home and we were especially delighted to welcome Dr. Trevor Raybould and his wife Angela along with Peter Tilley and not forgetting Mr. Gilbert Guest who recently retired as part-time gardener to the present Earl of Dudley and who was responsible for the maintenance of the Garden's of Remembrance at both locations. Their visit included a talk on church history at Witley by Anne Leonie and chief steward Roger Perkins and a visit to the crypt (thanks go to Ian Holland). For my part I gave a conducted tour around the Garden of Remembrance at the Chapel of Ease. We all enjoyed the experience and there are already plans afoot for a reciprocal visit and for the mutual exchange of material between the two groups.

3rd June 2010 - Poseidon Fountain restoration Society A.G.M.

P.F.R.S. - A.G.M. was held at the English Heritage visitor centre at Witley Court, courtesy of site operations manager Spencer Trickett. See main website pages for further details.

Sunday 30th May 2010

Stewarding the church again in the morning whilst plants were on sale on stalls outside the porch. Plenty of visitors from 11.00 a.m. until 2.00 p.m. (just over 100), then Simon Lees-Milne arrived for the afternoon session.

Graham Stansfield Memorial Bench, 25th April 2010

A healthy congregation at Great Witley saw the church playing host to the usual Holy Communion service together with the christening of three young adults from the parish. After the services, the curate, The Reverend Robin Walter, gave his blessing to a new bench dedicated to the memory of the late Graham Stansfield. His widow Nancy and members of her family are pictured here after the short ceremony. Graham was an active member of the local parishioners who is best remembered as a keen historian and researcher on matters concerning Witley Court. Sadly, I never met Graham, as I came on to the scene shortly afer his tragic death.

Another busy turn stewarding at Great Witley

I arrived at Witley Church for a stewarding turn today; I was early (about 20 minutes to eleven. No sooner had I walked through the door and set up the sales stand when a coach party arrived and I found myself giving an impromptu talk to around thirty tourists who had descended on the church without any forewarning. A quick bit of improvisation thus ensued, but the said party were very grateful for my efforts in the end. It was nice to see their appreciation of the building which was reflected in a healthy sale of items from the sales stand and some much appreciated donations in the "milk churn". The only thing missing was the organ being played. The coach driver also knew a fair bit about the church as he often brings parties here because he knows that his fellow travellers always have a good visit. It was also good to see that visitor numbers have recovered dramatically in recent weeks after the dearth of folk during the winter period. Easter weekend was particularly busy - long may it continue.

"Worcestershire Life" magazine, March 2010

The March 2010 edition of "Worcestershire Life" magazine contains an article concerning the fountains and statuary at Witley Court. It can be found on pages 66 - 71 inclusive. A free download is available from the magazine website. Witley has also featured many times in a number of back issues.

Friday 26th March 2010: A special day for a special couple

Today was a special day for Bob & Sheila Hughes as it was exactly 50 years to the day that they were married in this very church - 26th March 1960. Family & friends came along on the following Sunday for a visit and a small ceremony to mark the event was held in the church tea room. The event was also recorded with photographs in the church which were taken near the Foley monument, the spot where the register was signed on their wedding day. Congratulations are extended to Bob and Sheila from the church stewards, and may they both have many more anniversaries in the years to come.

14 March 2010, Visits to Witley Court & Madresfield Court

As it was a very nice early spring day, I decided to pay a visit to Witley Court in the morning, followed by Madrefield in the afternoon. Witley's visit was to take a few more photographs, mainly of the very nearly completed east parterre garden, which has been painstakingly restored to it's original condition by E.H. to the nineteenth century designs of W.A.Nesfield. The web pages will contain images of this impressive feature and also a new section on a "then & now" theme. Many thanks to Spencer Trickett and his staff for a warm welcome at the visitor centre. In the afternoon I drove over to Madresfield Court for the annual "Daffodil Sunday" which sees the gardens open to the public, though sadly not the house itself. The said flowers were in seriously short supply this year as a result of the severity of the recent winter. Not to be disappointed however as there was still plenty to see with a decent covering of crocuses and snowdrops to brighten up the surroundings. One needs to make as much of one's visit as possible on these occasions as even the grounds are only open twice annually and today was, I believe, the only time for this year. The five pounds entrance fee was certainly excellent value for money and I am glad I arrived early as the place was soon thronged with many hundreds of visitors. One small gripe - the ice-cream van could have been parked a little more discreetly as it tended to spoil the views somewhat in the position it was sitting.

Friday 12th March 2010 - Stewarding at Great Witley Church

This afternoon was my booked turn to be church steward, so I turned up at 2.00 p.m. after having paid a quick visit to the English Heritage visitor centre to say hello to the staff. Chief steward Roger Perkins had been the morning steward (accompanied by his faithful black labrador)and he told me that there had been only about a dozen visitors so far - not many, but not too bad either for the time of year. It was more or less the same for me in the afternoon, but I did manage a few decent sales of items from the trolley. Most visitors were suitably impressed by the new display boards, one gentleman in particular being very interested in the picture of the 1902 golf tournament; he said he will keep in touch and send me some details of those who took part. Robin Walter popped his head round the door just as I was beginning to pack things away.

Visit to Llandrindod Wells 10th March 2010

Today I took a leisurely drive into Mid-Wales to the spa town of Llandrindod Wells for the purpose of a visit to see my very good friend and research collaborator Ruth Butler. Ruth moved here from Kidderminster a few months ago now and is busy settling in and making her new residence more to her liking with a programme of redecoration and furnishing. Aside from this activity she also manages to find the time to begin sorting out her vast archive of Witley Court related material which she has amassed over the years. To my mind this repository alone is enough to make Ruth one of the foremost authorities on Witley Court and it's inhabitants, let alone her incisive knowledge, and I feel it is a great honour and a pleasure to have been fortunate to be working alongside her. Keep it going Ruth !

Monday 8th March 2010 - County Records Office, Worcester

I paid a visit today to the County Records Office, County Hall branch at Spetchley in order to look at some documents relating to Witley Court. There is a vast archive of material stored here that is available to the public to view, and a visit to this establishment can be recommended to those who may wish to extend their knowledge further than that which is given in guide books and similar publications. Such items as maps, diagrams, plans, sketches, photographs, deeds, wills, general correspondence etc. provide a fascinating insight into all that went on at Witley in times gone by. I have added a couple of items to the bibliography section of the main web site, as I discovered another couple of books on the shelves of which I never knew even existed. I also spent an hour attempting to decipher an extract of the will of the "old" Earl of Dudley, John William Ward, whose vast fortune left in trust to his kinsman was used to purchase Witley Court from the Foley's in about 1837.

Madresfield Court "Daffodil Sunday" 14th March

I see that advertisements have been put in place in the Malvern locality for next Sunday (14th March) as being the annual date of "Daffodil Sunday". On this occasion the grounds are open to visitors (though sadly not the house itself) and there is usually an impressive display of early spring flora, though with the winter just passing over now I'm not sure as to where all the said flowers are going to appear from this year, unless of course the soil happens to contain some magic ingredient or two; we will just have to wait and see. It should be well worth a visit anyway and I will certainly be attending.

Miscellaneous Documents

I have recently acquired copies of some interesting documents concerning Witley Court and the "Dudley" family. These are as follows:
"The Earl of Dudley, Mr Lumley, And Her Majesty's Theatre: A Narrative Of Facts (1863)" by Benjamin Lumley. Bosworth & Harrison,re-printed by Kessinger Publishing ISBN 1120757258.
Mr. Lumley was an early proprietor/manager of Her Majesty's Theatre in London's west end who became associated with Lord Ward in the 1850's in an effort to provide a more sound financial footing on which to run the premises. This narrative outlines the "facts" from Lumley's point of view with regards to Ward's alleged pecuniary role in the venture which soon began to become financially problematical . Also included are some letters of correspondence between the various parties (written by Ward from Witley Court) which serve to illustrate the strained relations which resulted and the eventual collapse of Lumley's empire.

List of Articles ............ Worcestershire Archaeological Society 1923/24 - 2008 including index, compiled by Rod Sproat. Rod has put together a list of transaction articles of the W.A.S. of which he is a serving official. Witley Court itself is featured in one of these reports dating from 1996 (see bibliography section of main website).

The late Graham Stansfield's widow, Nancy, has kindly provided me with a specification from a firm of chartered architects which dates from late 1998. This document specifies the standards of materials and workmanship to be adhered to with regards to restoration work to be undertaken on the parish church and the link block adjacent to the court.
Of more general interest is a tape recording of reminiscences in an interview with the present 4th Earl of Dudley, which I propose to transcribe at some point in the near future, time permitting. This interview took place on the 25th October 1995 at the Earl's London residence.

Finally, on page 66, Hidden Gems, of the latest edition of the English Heritage house magazine "Heritage Today", there is a full page article devoted to none other than Spencer Trickett, site supervisor at Witley Court heritage centre. He seems to get in everywhere !

Poseidon Fountain Restoration Society - 4th March 2010

The P.F.R.S. still meets quarterly at the Hundred House, Great Witley, in order to informally discuss matters of relevance to Witley Court and the church etc. This evening was not the best attended meeting but most of the "usual suspects" were there, including Rod Sproat, Ruth Butler, Nancy Stansfield, Mark Brown, Pat & Pete Hull and others whose names escape me at present, and of course myself. Some interesting topics of conversation were aired. Next meeting will be the A.G.M. on Thursday 3rd June and will take place at the English Heritage visitor centre at Witley Court. (to be confirmed).

Window - "The Miraculous Draught of Fishes" - Or is it ?

Joshua Price's ten famous enamelled glass windows originally from Cannons Palace and now in Great Witley church are renowned for their craftsmanship and beauty and are possibly unique as a set in the whole world. They each depict a New Testament biblical scene (with the exception of one from the Old Testament) and most of these are straightforward and self-explanatory. However, talking to churchwarden Ian Holland, it has recently been suggested by fellow churchwarden Peter Heighway that the depiction of the window entitled "The Miraculous Draught of Fishes" may in actual fact be something quite different in scriptural terms, and may possibly be based on the miracle which saw Christ walking upon the water.
We will have to wait and see as to what evidence, if any, emerges from this intriguing claim, but if it is true then a considerable amount of history may have to be amended. Watch this space.

Visit to Great Witley Church - Sunday 28th February 2010

Although today was not my turn for stewarding duty, I could not resist a visit to the church as it never disappoints. When I arrived I found that my very good friend and research collaborator Ruth Butler was duty steward that afternoon. We were soon engaged in conversation and exchanging ideas and information on all sorts of topics to do with the church and Witley Court next door.
There has recently been an improvement to a feature of the interior of the building. that is that the old photographic and information display set up with the assistance of the late Bill Pardoe over forty years ago has now been completely re-vamped and modernised. The new display is a much more professional work and has been undertaken by Peter Kemp, the husband of one of our stewards Hilary. Peter has digitally scanned all the old prints and mounted them on attractive felt board which is framed in oak, all at his own expense. There has been universal praise and admiration from all who have cast their eyes on this impressive piece of craftsmanship despite reservations from some quarters - many thanks indeed to it's author.
Whilst on this particular topic, a very impressed Simon Lees-Milne and Ian Holland payed a visit to show their appreciation of Peter's work. Ian and his wife Mary have just returned from an extended visit to their family in Australia, having missed the miserable winter that the rest of us have had to endure. What a shame !
In addition to all this activity, a young gentleman came striding into the church and proceeded at once to the organ balcony, whereupon he played the said instrument nearly all afternoon in an impromptu recital of music, much to the delight of the visitors present. All in all a most interesting and enjoyable afternoons entertainment.

Stewarding at Great Witley Church

Our acting chief steward Roger Perkins has just rung to book me in on a couple of stewarding turns at the church as he is short-handed in March (and quite often other months too, especially in the winter). I haven't a regular slot like most stewards but work on a "fill-in" basis as and when there is a shortage, provided I am free myself. So it is that I am in for Friday 12th. March P.M. and Friday 26th. March A.M.

Stewarding times from March are 11.00 - 14.00 mornings and 14.00 - 17.00 afternoons, seven days a week. Roger says that he has "lost" around a dozen stewards over this winter period, for various reasons, and another recruiting campaign is likely soon. If you are interested in Witley Church & the court or history in general, music and the arts, Roger would certainly be glad to hear from you if you could be of assistance and would consider becoming a steward. Contact Roger Perkins on 01299 896975.

John William Ward - "Smoking"

Going back briefly to J.W.W.'s letters, I could not help but be amused by the content of a letter he wrote from Vienna in December 1817 in which he describes the habits and traits of German folk and with particular regards to thier smoking habits. Here is the relavent passage in full; see what you make of it:

........." Smoking, as I need not remind you , is a most important business in the life of almost every German of whatever condition. And to say the truth, I am rather inclined to consider it as a good thing for the common people. If they did not smoke they would probably drink more. It is a sort of defence against cold and bad air, and supplies a cheap, tranquil, harmless amusement. But it is an odd way for a gentleman to pass his day."

Visit to Madresfield Court

Thursday 4th March is the date of the next meeting of the Poseidon Fountain Restoration Society at The Hundred House, Great Witley. It may be a good opportunity at this meeting to broach the subject of a visit to Madresfield Court, Malvern, perhaps jointly with the church stewards group. If there appears to be some interest then I will contact Roger Perkins and ask for his views on the matter. Access to the interior of Madresfield is not normally available to the general public but can be arranged with the Elmley Trust (the managers of the estate) to suitable interested groups. I have briefly discussed this with Ruth Butler who, as ever, seems very keen. Having recently read Jayne Mulvagh's superb book on the place, I am of the view that a visit should be arranged for sometime this year. I'm sure it won't disappoint.

John William Ward - the"old" Earl of Dudley's letters

Not long after his death, two compilations of letters written by the "old" Earl of Dudley, John William Ward were published. "Letters to Ivy" was compiled by S.H.Romilly and consisted of correspondence to a Mrs. Helen Stewart (wife of Dugald Stewart) of Edinburgh. D.S. had been a tutor of Ward's prior to his attending Oriel College, Oxford. He regarded the Stewart family as more or less equivalent to his own and wrote to "Ivy" as he called her, on a regular basis for most of his life.

The other book of letters were to Edward Copleston, later the Bishop of Llandaff, with whom Ward corresponded regularly with his old Oxford master, again for many years.

I have read both of these books and found them fascinating, though a bit heavy going, especially the Copleston edition. They both illustrate Ward's interests and views on a wide range of subject matter, particularly the politics of the day,both domestic and European, and the machinations of his rise to become Foreign Secretary, and the literary works of the classics and those of many contemporary figures including his friend Lord Byron. Ward travelled extensively abroad in Europe and these events are well covered in his letters. Some interesting accounts of everyday life (such as the sometimes indifferent quality of postal services) can also be gleaned, as well as the amount of quite serious illnesses he suffered from time to time, to an extent almost unthinkable by today's standards. Highly recommended.

What has all this got to do with Witley Court you may ask? J.W.W. left his vast fortune in trust to the son of his second cousin, and it was the trustees of young William Ward who purchased the Witley & Holt estates from the Foley's in 1837/8. So without old John's money the history of Great Witley would have told a very different story indeed.

Welcome to my Witley Court blog

Hello and welcome to my Witley Court blog. I hope to be making regular contributions with regards to what is happening at Great Witley these days, not forgetting the church of course and the tearoom. A few thoughts on matters of an historical nature will also be making thier appearance here. Thank you for reading my comments.

Lord Balloon, the 2nd. Baron Foley of the 2nd. creation, also went by the name of David Pagett.