Abstract:
Witley Court, a ruined mansion a few miles to the north-west of Worcester, was once one of the grandest houses in Britain. Despite its mid-19th century Italianate appearance the brick core of the house dates to the mid-17th century. That in turn is built on the site of a medieval manor house and a substantial portion of its undercroft survives more or less intact. This part of the building had largely been overlooked in the past, but English Heritage commissioned an analytical survey of its remains. Although it has lost virtually all its plain rib-vaulting, enough remains to give an impression of its original design. It is of two and a half bays, the narrow half bay containing a small vice (now blocked) to the floor above. The medieval masonry consists of large and well-coursed blocks of ashlar. The undercroft had been dated to the 15th century but the survey clearly indicated that it was considerably earlier, especially as a doorway inserted into the west gable has an ogee head typical of the first half of the 14th century. It is suggested that the undercroft belongs to a 13th century solar block associated with a lost medieval hall. The results of the survey have shown that the architectural history of Witley Court can be taken back at least two centuries. *Sec(abr)(21a)
