Ravaged by fire in 1937, this was effectively the end of Witley Court, which only 100 years prior to the accidental destruction, had been remodelled as a grand Italianate palace for the Earl of Dudley. It is distressing to see such a vast and impressive country house lying ruinous but, at the same time, it is a spectacular sight in its state of dereliction.

The history of Witley Court is well documented from the time of the Domesday survey, and there remains evidence of a vaulted medieval building beneath the Victorian foundations. At the beginning of the 16th century a country house, a church, and some 400 acres made up the manor of Witley. One hundred years later a brick, Jacobean house replaced the medieval manor house, and a picture of this is still in existence. It was this mansion that formed the basis for the transformation of Witley Court into the magnificent Victorian palace that stood here in the mid-19th century. Prominent London architects were commissioned to work on the evolving shape of Witley Court but nothing remains of Henry Flitcroft's work, and very little of John Nash's neo-classical villa was left in situ. Samuel Whitfield Daukes introduced the fashionable Italian styling to Witley Court, leaving only the Ionic columns of the entrance portico free from the honey-coloured Bath stone cladding.

It is difficult to imagine the sight that met visitors approaching Witley Court from the long drive, but it surely must have been breathtaking because even today, it stands as a majestic roofless shell of splendid dimensions. Looking around the inner court, before entering Nash's classical ornamental porch, there is much evidence of the red brick Jacobean house, exposed by the loss of the Bath stone cladding over the years. An elegant conservatory of massive proportions, with a series of continual arched windows and low-level stone balustrades, once contained a mass of indoor foliage, and looked down to the spectacular Perseus and Andromeda fountain in the south parterre garden. A little to the west of Witley Court visitors may enter the parish church, a rather plain rectangular building externally, but with a surprisingly sumptuous interior that should not be missed. Fortunately, the little church did not suffer in the devastating fire of 1937 and, with careful restoration, represents one of the finest baroque church interiors in Britain.

Once a status symbol of industrial wealth, political influence, and Victorian entrepreneurs, Witley Court had known opulence, entertained Royalty, and hosted many great sporting events. Then, towards the end of the 19th century, the Dudley fortunes went into serious decline, resulting in the sale of Witley Court in 1920. Sir Herbert Smith was the unpopular new owner, a millionaire who had made his money from the carpet industry. After the fire Witley Court changed hands several times, its fate more or less sealed by a salvage dealer who purchased the house in 1954.

Everything of any value from Witley Court, including the marble chimneypieces, the heavy plate glass from the conservatory, statuary that had adorned the gardens, and all the roof materials, was sold off. Dangerously close to demolition, a guardianship order was imposed on the estate in 1972 and, since 1984, it has been in the care of English Heritage. An on-going programme of restoration has secured the future of this outstanding country house and gardens, making it an extremely popular venue with visitors to the Worcester area.