Great Witley Church Stewards Group

This afternoon Great Witley Church Stewards group had a get-together in the village hall, the main item being a very interesting talk by Derek Clarke on the project to restore the Poseidon fountain at Witley Court to working order, together with the reinstatement of the south parterre garden features. Derek was the architect for this major work which commenced some twenty-odd years ago, and has now resulted in this magnificent spectacle operating regularly for the public to enjoy. After a short interval for refreshments, the chairman of the church restoration committee, Simon Lees-Milne, gave the audience an update on the progress of various happenings at the church in the near future. Many thanks go to the speaker and his wife Edna, and to Roger Perkins and his wife Linda for organising the event and for providing the facilities.

The Countess of Dudley, Requiem service

Maureen Swanson (Ward), Countess of Dudley

25^th November 1932 - 16^th November 2011

Maureen Swanson, Countess of Dudley, beloved wife, mother, grandmother and stepmother, died peacefully in her sleep after a long illness. Requiem Service at Christ Church, Eldon Road, Kensington W8, on Friday 25th November at 2.30pm. 

Worcestershire Records Office - Last Day at County Hall

       Today was the sad occasion of the last day of the Worcestershire Records Office, County Hall branch, before closure of the serarchroom and it's facilities to the public for good. The present office opened with the County Hall complex some thirty years ago, and hopefully by the summer of 2012, the brand new facilities will be opened in Worcester city centre at "The Hive", a newly-built complex incorporating the Records Office, Family History Centre, Public Library, a new university faculty and more. The old office closed today in order to allow for the preparation of the complex logistical operation to transfer all the archive material from the old to the new over the coming months.

Display of some of the C.R.O's archive material in the Palfrey room

Reception desk and main searchroom

Members of staff at the main desk with the index boxes on the shelves behind

         The staff were on hand to meet and greet the public who came to pay their last respects to the old order of things; let us hope that the new set-up will be as good as the last. I would personally like to extend my most grateful thanks (and I'm sure Ruth will say the same) to the staff who, over the last few years, have been most helpful in assisting me in my research activities concerning Witley Court and also my own family history. Best wishes to you all and see you next summer.
   
          May I also thank Dr. Pat Hughes for being so kind as to sign my copy of her latest book, The Story of Worcester, which she has co-authored with Annette Leech; thoroughly recommended.

V & A Museum and Dudley House

"Bashaw" in the V & A museum

"Dudley House" - number 100 Park Lane, Mayfair - the exterior is almost complete and much of the scaffolding which has blocked the view for at least the last  two years has been taken down.

High up on the balustrade of the roof-line is the cartouche of the Ward family coat-of-arms and motto

A visit to the capital today to see Matthew Cotes Wyatt's magnificent sculpture of the old Earl of Dudley's favourite dog "Bashaw" in the V & A museum. After lunch a diversion to Park Lane to observe the progress on the refurbishment of number 100 - Dudley House, the exterior of which is almost complete.

Laura Troubridge, Rachel's Sister

Charles Henry Gurney and his wife Alice Maria Prinsep were blessed with a family of four children, Laura, Rachel, Thomas and Henry. Rachel is of course by far the most well-known of these siblings, becoming the  Countess of Dudley in 1891 when she married William Humble Ward, the 2nd Earl. Rachel's older sister Laura is less well known outside her own family circle but nevertheless she was a very accomplished woman in her own right and married well, her husband being Thomas Troubridge, a descendant of the famous admiral.
In her lifetime Laura became an author of fiction novels, though not a well known one. She did however write an autobiography of her life and times which was published, but copies of this fascinating work (including a chapter on her famous sister) are very rare and extremely difficult to come by. With the coming of the digital age it has become possible to re-master this publication and present it in digital format on compact disc for all to read and enjoy. Copies of "Memories and Reflections" by Laura Troubridge on CD are now available by contacting myself or Ruth Butler, when we will be pleased to arrange your purchase for a good value price. Many thanks go to Ruth for allowing her priceless possession to become available to the general public.

"Memories and Reflections" by Lady Troubridge is complete with illustrations and photographs.

Coming soon: "Sunshine and Shadows in the West Indies" by Rachel Dudley. A fascinating account of the Earl and Countess of Dudley's voyage abroad in 1907, written by Rachel upon her return to these shores. An even rarer publication than that of sister Laura's book, this CD will be available in due course: watch this space !

Tuesday 20th September 2011, Roy Peacock at County Hall

Local historian and author Roy Peacock was this evening the guest speaker at the Friends of Worcestershire Records Office meeting at County Hall, Spetchley. Roy gave an interesting talk on the early history of the  Foley dynasty, the main theme of his latest publication, "The Seventeenth Century Foley's - Iron, Wealth and Vision, 1580 - 1716". This book has already gained a very favourable reputation amongst local history enthusiasts in Worcestershire, being very readable and also well researched and presented; a highly recommended item for your bookshelf. Many thanks go to Roy for his time and effort which was most appreciated by the twenty-odd attendees to the meeting. Also thanks to the committee for organising the event and especially to Peter Walker for the refreshments. Mrs. B  graced us with her presence, as did Angela Snow and her friend Rachel.

Sunday 11th September 2011 - Cornwell Manor

Mrs B. and myself paid a visit today to Cornwell Manor, the home of the present Earl of Dudley's late brother, Mr Peter Ward who was known to his friends as "Wardy", and who passed away in 2008. The manor house is located in an isolated spot in the countryside, not too far from either Moreton-in-Marsh or Stow-on-the-Wold. The estate is owned by the Ward family, with the parish church of St Barnabus being in a very remote corner of the village which the Ward's also own. Peter's simple gravestone looks out from the churchyard, over the meadowland towards the house. It is a very peaceful location with not even the background noise of motor traffic.

Bank Holiday Weekend - August 2011. Great Witley Church

The weather over the B.H. weekend was neither good nor bad. A few light showers at times, but essentially dry, though with a chilly breeze at times and not a lot of warm sunshine. I began with a stewarding turn on the Saturday afternoon which was interrupted by a power failure at about 4.p.m., panic from John Jenkin but all was restored to order by Ian Holland after about fifteen minutes, simply by resetting a trip switch in the vestry. At 5 o'clock there was an organ recital given by Mark Purcell, organist from Charlbury, Oxfordshire. Sunday afternoon was spent giving assistance to Ruth Butler who nowadays covers the whole day on her own, followed by Evensong at five. On the Monday I was booked to welcome visitors to the church crypt in the morning before Roger Perkins arrived to cover the afternoon turn. After lunch in the tea-room I gave duty steward Angela Snow a break, as she was also covering the whole of this very busy day on her own as "Billy No-Mates" yet again; when I left for home at just turned 4 o'clock there had been well over four hundred visitors counted in. The tea-room did extremely well over the whole period; at these busy times Gill ropes in the whole of her family for assistance, all in the very best Foley tradition !

A Busy Weekend

A busy weekend for Ruth and myself, commencing with a church stewarding duty on the Saturday morning, followed by a quick lunch in the tea-room before heading off to a family history fair at Worcester Rugby Club. The "usual suspects" were present at this event and we had some very interesting chats with a number of representatives on the various stands; we also bumped into fellow steward Angela Snow and a number of other familiar faces. On Sunday morning we drove over to south Lincolnshire to Harlaxton Manor near Grantham which is only open to the public on one day in the year. It is here that a number of statuary ornaments can be found which were originally to be found at Witley Court before the 1937 fire which devastated the building. See separate article in the Pages section which will appear soon.

Things don't always go to plan

A view of Witley Court and church looking south across the front pool on a day without a breath of wind, a view which has only recently become available again after work to make safe a "naughty tree", the condition of  which was considered a risk to the public.

The reconstructed boat-house tucked away at the western extremity of the front pool

I had a very pleasant and interesting conversation with Judy Goodman over lunch in the tea-room today, before I was due to steward the church in the afternoon. When I got in to relieve Charles Hadwell, the morning steward, I found that the place had been completely taken over by preparations for an art exhibition this coming weekend. Charles had not been able to set out his stall due to the amount of activity and so I decided that I was not going to attempt to do so either. I rang Roger Perkins to explain the situation and went back down to the tea-room for another round of refreshments. On the way home I popped in to see Spencer Trickett and the staff at the English Heritage visitor centre and exchanged some interesting research material concerning the Witley Court Music Box, a wartime dance band outfit whose members were based at Witley during this period. See my pages section for more information.

Isle of Wight Holiday - Day 14

Tennyson Monument

Tennyson Monument looking west towards The Needles

Fort Victoria beach looking across the Solent towards Hurst Castle

The weather conditions on Tennyson Down were almost perfect and in stark contrast to those of last Saturday morning. Ruth and myself climbed to the top in order to admire the views in all directions. Later on we took a ride on the chairlift which descends the cliffs down to Alum Bay.

Isle of Wight Holiday - Day 13

East Cowes marina

Chain ferry from East Cowes to Cowes

Egypt Point, the most northerly spot on the Isle of Wight

Today was Cowes and East Cowes with a visit to the East Cowes Heritage Centre, a ride over to Cowes on the chain ferry and on to Egypt Point, the most northerly extremity of the island.

Isle of Wight Holiday - Day 12



High Street, Godshill village

All Saints Church, Godshill

Appuldurcombe House, near Wroxall

Another foray over towards the east to the village of Godshill, a very pretty location somewhat spoiled by hoards of trippers and the little gift shops they wander in and out of. Up on the hill stands All Saints Church surrounded by a clutch of thatched cottages which made a pleasant change to the main part of the village below. From Godshill we drove the six miles to the Isle of Wight's version of Witley Court, the ruined seventeenth-century mansion known as Appuldurcombe House near Wroxall. On the way "home" we stopped at various spots on the south coast in order to take photographs.

Isle of Wight Holiday - Day 11



Isle of Wight steam railway, Wootton

Interior of St. Mildred's Church, Wippingham

Ryde pierhead, looking towards Cowes

Former London Underground electric units work the passenger services on the IoW railway system, two of which are seen passing at Ryde St. John's Road station

We made tracks for the east side of the island with an itinerary which included the Isle of Wight Steam Railway, St. Mildred's Church, Wippingham (where Prince Philip's grandfather is buried), East Cowes (where Norris Castle proved elusive) and then on to Ryde where Ruth and Mike went to an evening Speedway meeting, leaving me to explore the island's quirky railway system which runs from the Pierhead at Ryde down to Shanklin. It was a long day and we didn't get back until 10 p.m.

Isle of Wight Holiday - Day 10

"Farringford" near Freshwater Bay, once the residence of Poet Laureate Alfred, Lord Tennyson

"The Briary", Freshwater Bay. This house was built on the same site as that which was the residence of the artist G.F.Watts. The original property was destroyed by fire in 1934.

The morning was spent visiting Malcolm & Sue Gould, to whom we had been introduced by some of our other friends and contacts during our research activities. The Gould's live at "The Briary" near Freshwater Bay, which is a large house that was built on the site of the former residence of the artist G.F.Watts, which was  also known as The Briary, and which was destroyed by fire in 1934. Malcolm and his wife made us extremely welcome and gave us an insight into the history of the property, together with a glimpse of many old documents in his possession which were of great interest. We then went for lunch at a small restaurant adjacent to Alfred, Lord Tennyson's former residence, "Farringford" which is a private residence in this day and age.

Isle of Wight Holiday - Day 9

At 8 o'clock in the morning it was almost impossible to see more than a few yards down the road, such was the thickness of the fog that was lapping the coastal areas of the Isle of Wight. However within an hour or so, and just a couple of miles inland, the sun burst through to give a virtually cloudless day with unbroken sunshine, warm, but with a refreshing sea-breeze, resulting in the best day of weather so far on our holiday. We drove over to East Cowes for a splendid day out at Osborne House, the former summer residence of Queen Victoria and her family. The foghorns continued to blast out out their warning until well after lunchtime, indicating that the sea-fog was still a persistent problem in the Solent.

Isle of Wight Holiday - Day 8

Murky weather conditions surround Tennyson's monument on the high downs of the Isle of Wight

Sts. Thomas', Newport Minster, is a typical Victorian Gothick town church and was designed by the architect Samuel Whitfield Daukes, who was also responsible for Witley Court. 

The splendid ruins of Carisbrooke Castle near Newport, Isle of Wight

Fairly early in the morning Ruth and myself climbed to the top of Tennyson Down in order to watch the yachts sailing round the island in the annual Isle of Wight race. It was disappointingly misty and a stiff breeze made conditions unpleasant for both yachtsmen and spectators alike. Another disappointment followed later in the day when we arrived in Newport only to find that the Minster was closed to visitors. Nearby, the castle at Carisbrooke provided the highlight of the day, as yet again the sun broke through in the afternoon and led to a glorious evening of sunshine.

Isle of Wight Holiday - Day 7

The view from the top of St.Catherine's Hill, looking west towards The Needles over Brighstone Bay

St. Catherine's Oratory, known locally as "The Pepperpot", but resembling a medieval spaceship

St. Catherine's Oratory standing on St. Catherine's Hill is a tall medieval octagonal tower, allegedly a lighthouse, built here in 1328 by Walter de Godeton (sometimes spelled "Goditon") as penance for stealing church property from a wrecked ship. Affectionately known as the Pepperpot, it stands on one of the highest parts of the Isle of Wight. It is part of the Tennyson Heritage Coast, a series of linked cliff-top monuments. A later lighthouse can be seen nearby. From the top of the hill there are fabulous views to be enjoyed over the English Channel to the Cherbourg peninsula in northern France.

Isle of Wight Holiday - Day 6

Interior of the Brading Roman Villa complex

Bembridge Windmill

Today was spent roaming around the more eastern extremities of the island, with visits to Brading Roman Villa and then on to Bembridge Windmill. We returned to our base via the picturesque and relatively traffic-free road that follows the south coast via Sandown, Ventnor, Brighstone and Freshwater Bay.

Isle of Wight Holiday, Day 5

Freshwater Bay looking west towards Tennyson Down

Near Freshwater Bay, looking west

The Needles and the Old Battery

Yarmouth Pier from the castle

Today, a trip around the western extremities of the I.O.W. courtesy of an open-top 'bus. The small town of Yarmouth was visited, followed by a pleasant ride through the countryside, ending up at the Needles Old Battery for an excellent view of the rocks, lighthouse and coastline; it was a dry but very blustery day, though as on previous days, the sunshine broke through in the afternoon. I alighted the 'bus at Freshwater Bay where, surprise surprise, I bumped into a fellow researcher by the name of Ruth who gave me a lift back to the bungalow in her van.