The Boathouse

The original boathouse at Witley Court dates back to Victorian times and was restored in 1999. However, the remains of the country mansion were formed from a Jacobean house built on the grounds between 1610 and 1620. The buildings were extensively remodelled in the mid-19th century.

The formal gardens, seen in my extra with the remains of the Court were designed and constructed between 1854 and 1860 by William Andrews Nesfield. The East Parterre was based on a 17th century French design and was dominated at its end by the fountain of Flora, goddess of spring and flowers. The centre statue was damaged when someone attempted to remove it and the fountain generally has suffered from vandalism over the years.

Fire ripped through the building on 8th September 1937 while only a skeleton staff were in residence. The fire, thought to have started in the bakery and fanned by strong winds soon reached the main rooms. Failure of the badly maintained hydrant system and fireproof floors meant there was no way to fight it and although villagers helped save much of the contents the building itself was a total loss. With insurance payments estimated to only cover around 25% of rebuilding costs the property was disposed of, never to be lived in again. The house and surroundings were scheduled as an Ancient Monument in 1970 and a compulsory guardianship order awarded in 1972. English Heritage took over maintenance of the property in 1984.