Great Witley
Encyclopedia
Great Witley is a village and civil parish
(with Hillhampton
) in the Malvern Hills District
in the northwest of the county of Worcestershire
, England
. There has been a settlement in the area since before the Norman Conquest.
The village is home to Witley Court
, a Jacobean
country house extended on a number of occasions throughout its history, but which became derelict after a spectacular fire in 1937. The mansion
, formerly one of the finest in the Midlands, is now in the care of English Heritage
, who describe it as their number one ruin. They have restored the extensive gardens leaving the impressive skeletal ruin of the building overlooking them in a poignant and thought provoking way.
Adjoining Witley Court is the 18th century church of Saint Michael and All Angels, which is one of the finest Italian Baroque
churches in Britain
. It incorporates a richly gilded ceiling with a number of paintings by Antonio Bellucci
and a funerary monument by John Michael Rysbrack
.
Nearby is Woodbury Hill commanding extensive views south to the Malvern Hills
and over the River Teme
valley to the west. On the summit is an Iron Age
hillfort. Owain Glyndwr
's army of Welsh
and French
camped here for eight days in the summer of 1405 facing an army of King Henry IV
at Abberley
Hill. Skirmishes took place but neither large force initiated full scale battle and the Welsh withdrew under nightfall back to Wales
. The location was also used as a meeting place during the English Civil War
by Clubmen
from the local farms and cottages.
The village also has The Hundred House Hotel, once a collection point for agricultural tithe
s from the districts or 'hundred (division)
s' of the local area.
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
(with Hillhampton
Hillhampton
Hillhampton is a hamlet and civil parish nestled between Great Witley, Little Wiley and Shrawley in the Malvern Hills District in the county of Worcestershire, England. It was anciently a detached hamlet of the parish of Martley....
) in the Malvern Hills District
Malvern Hills (district)
Malvern Hills is a local government district in Worcestershire, England. Its council is based in the town of Malvern, and its area covers most of the western half of the county that borders Herefordshire. It was originally formed in 1974 and was subject to a significant boundary reform in 1998...
in the northwest of the county of Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. There has been a settlement in the area since before the Norman Conquest.
The village is home to Witley Court
Witley Court
Witley Court in Worcestershire, England is a Grade 1 listed building and was once one of the great houses of the Midlands, but today it is a spectacular ruin after being devastated by fire in 1937. It was built by Thomas Foley in 1655 on the site of a former manor house near Great Witley...
, a Jacobean
Jacobean architecture
The Jacobean style is the second phase of Renaissance architecture in England, following the Elizabethan style. It is named after King James I of England, with whose reign it is associated.-Characteristics:...
country house extended on a number of occasions throughout its history, but which became derelict after a spectacular fire in 1937. The mansion
Mansion
A mansion is a very large dwelling house. U.S. real estate brokers define a mansion as a dwelling of over . A traditional European mansion was defined as a house which contained a ballroom and tens of bedrooms...
, formerly one of the finest in the Midlands, is now in the care of English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
, who describe it as their number one ruin. They have restored the extensive gardens leaving the impressive skeletal ruin of the building overlooking them in a poignant and thought provoking way.
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
churches in Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
. It incorporates a richly gilded ceiling with a number of paintings by Antonio Bellucci
Antonio Bellucci
Antonio Bellucci was an Italian painter of the Rococo period, who was best known for his work in England, Germany, and Austria. He was one of the many Venetian-trained artists of his time, including Ricci, Tiepolo, Amigoni, and others, who sought commissions north of Italy, providing patrons with...
and a funerary monument by John Michael Rysbrack
John Michael Rysbrack
Johannes Michel or John Michael Rysbrack, original name Jan Michiel Rijsbrack , was an 18th-century Flemish sculptor. His birth-year is sometimes given as 1693 or 1684....
.
Nearby is Woodbury Hill commanding extensive views south to the Malvern Hills
Malvern Hills
The Malvern Hills are a range of hills in the English counties of Worcestershire, Herefordshire and a small area of northern Gloucestershire, dominating the surrounding countryside and the towns and villages of the district of Malvern...
and over the River Teme
River Teme
The River Teme rises in Mid Wales, south of Newtown in Powys, and flows through Knighton where it crosses the border into England down to Ludlow in Shropshire, then to the north of Tenbury Wells on the Shropshire/Worcestershire border there, on its way to join the River Severn south of Worcester...
valley to the west. On the summit is an Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
hillfort. Owain Glyndwr
Owain Glyndwr
Owain Glyndŵr , or Owain Glyn Dŵr, anglicised by William Shakespeare as Owen Glendower , was a Welsh ruler and the last native Welshman to hold the title Prince of Wales...
's army of Welsh
Welsh people
The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...
and French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
camped here for eight days in the summer of 1405 facing an army of King Henry IV
Henry IV of England
Henry IV was King of England and Lord of Ireland . He was the ninth King of England of the House of Plantagenet and also asserted his grandfather's claim to the title King of France. He was born at Bolingbroke Castle in Lincolnshire, hence his other name, Henry Bolingbroke...
at Abberley
Abberley
Abberley is a picturesque village in north west Worcestershire, England. It is situated on the northern slopes of Abberley Hill , between the River Severn and River Teme. The village had a population of 830 in 2001.-Location:...
Hill. Skirmishes took place but neither large force initiated full scale battle and the Welsh withdrew under nightfall back to Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. The location was also used as a meeting place during the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
by Clubmen
Clubmen
Clubmen were bands of vigilantes during the English Civil War who tried to protect their localities against the worst excesses of the respective armies of both sides in the war...
from the local farms and cottages.
The village also has The Hundred House Hotel, once a collection point for agricultural tithe
Tithe
A tithe is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a contribution to a religious organization or compulsory tax to government. Today, tithes are normally voluntary and paid in cash, cheques, or stocks, whereas historically tithes were required and paid in kind, such as agricultural products...
s from the districts or 'hundred (division)
Hundred (division)
A hundred is a geographic division formerly used in England, Wales, Denmark, South Australia, some parts of the United States, Germany , Sweden, Finland and Norway, which historically was used to divide a larger region into smaller administrative divisions...
s' of the local area.