Sir Herbert Smith Bt. purchased Witley Court in 1920 after the sudden death of Rachel, Countess of Dudley, and the Earl's wish to unburden himself of the property as part of a general retrenchment of his estate activities. Sir Herbert was resident at the court until just after the fire in 1937 which partly destroyed the building. See also "A View from the Past" section.

The late Graham Stansfield was an avid researcher and collector of historical material concerning Witley Court. This gallery is dedicated to Graham's memory. I am most grateful to Graham's widow Nancy, who has very kindly allowed me to illustrate a selection of his photographs here.

A miscellany of assorted old photographs, documents, maps, plans, sketches and diagrams etc. appertaining to Witley Court

Both before and after the Ward family's residency at Witley Court, the principal family seat was Himley Hall in the south of Staffordshire. This residence was close to the industrial heartland of the West Midlands in the area referred to as the "Black Country", much of the business and industry of which was under the control of the Dudley's. After the second world war, Eric Dudley, the third Earl, sold the premises to the government and it subsequently became the headquarters of the National Coal Board. In 1974 Himley's ownership was transferred to the local government office in the newly created county of West Midlands and remains in the administration of Dudley council to this day. The nearby parish church of St.Michael is steeped with the history of the Ward family, as is the adjacent Garden of Remembrance.

This collection gives brief biographies of the various members of the clergy incumbent at Great Witley over the centuries, many of whom became famous people in thier own right.

General access at Witley Court is somewhat restricted in respect of the buildings themselves, however special tours are given on a regular basis so that visitors can see the remains of other parts of the site not normally open to the public. This gallery illustrates one such event that took me "behind the scenes" to this fascinating part of Witley Court. There are quite a few pictures here as this reflects both the rarity of the event and the scope of such a visit, as this element of the site is surprisingly larger than the residential side of the house.

A brief summary of some of the principal professionals and artisans who helped create the fabric of Witley Court and its surroundings.

A fine early spring day around Witley Court as the house and grounds begin to awake from the grip of winter. There are plenty of scents to enjoy, as well as the early promise of attractive spring flowers, not forgetting the ubiquitous rhodedendron beginning to make an appearance. The parterre's already look splendid, even wilst awaiting planting. I took advantage of calm conditions to illustrate some reflections in the fountain basins which were being filled after thier annual winter maintenance. Visitors can look forward to seeing the magnificent spectacle of the Poseidon fountain coming to life once more when firing begins again soon.

A selection of pictures taken on the 3rd. February 2009 after the first significant fall of winter snow.

Work in Progress - A selection of images taken during the early nineteen-nineties at a time when restoration work on Witley Court began to gather momentum. Digital scans from 35mm. colour transparencies