The Witley Court freehold sold on eBay for under £900,000

Witley Court in Great Witley, Worcestershire, was built for the Foleys in the seventeenth century on the site of a former manor house. The estate was massively expanded in the early nineteenth century by the architect John Nash for Thomas Foley, 3rd Baron Foley. This reconstruction included the addition of huge ionic porticoes to the north and south fronts.

The estate was later sold to the Earls of Dudley, who undertook a second massive reconstruction in the mid-19th century. They employed architect Samuel Daukes to create an Italianate style using ashlar stone cladding over the existing red brickwork. Following the First World War, the house was sold to a Kidderminster carpet manufacturer. In September 1937, a major accidental fire broke out in the bakery of the least preserved tower. Because the ancient fire pump had not been maintained for many years, it failed to work, and one wing of the house was gutted.

The insurance company declined to cover the damage, leading the owner to sell the property. The estate was broken up and sold in lots, and scrap dealers stripped what they could from the house. In 1972, the house and grounds were taken into the care of the government. Since then, significant restoration and stabilisation have secured the house as a spectacular ruin.

In 2003, the owners, the Wigington family of Stratford-upon-Avon, placed the freehold for sale on eBay. The management arrangement with English Heritage was to remain unchanged. The sale was re-launched in 2008, and Witley was eventually sold for less than £900,000.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons