Worcester, Witley Court & Church

I've never been THIS excited about blogging before

Usually it takes me about a week of relaxing to recover from the exhaustion (and thrill) of travelling. During that period, I most commonly begin to contemplate whether or not I ought to blog about that particular experience. It generally is a big fat "yes" from me, but for some reason, writing somehow gets delayed by all the other interesting things I get involved with in life.

In other words, I procrastinate (sometimes).

But definitely not this time! After visiting Witley Court on an incredible sunny Monday (yes this was just yesterday), I was motivated to start blogging about it (almost) immediately. So, here goes.

Entering Worcester Cathedral

The medieval church of Saint Andrew

Sailing down the River Severn

Worcester

To get to Witley Court, which is located near Great Witley in Worcestershire, I had to head to the city of Worcester by train in order to catch the 758 bus to this English Heritage property. I'd made sure I'd left enough time to explore Worcester, mainly its Cathedral, as well.

Seagulls on patrol

Frequent flyer

A fine day in Worcester

If it's a very sunny day when you go, you should definitely take a walk by the River Severn as it looks absolutely stunning in the sunshine. There's also an opportunity to take a cruise up and down the river. Unfortunately, I didn't have time for this but I guess this, and the fact that I didn't get to see the other museums in Worcester + buy Worcestershire sauce, means I'll definitely have an excuse to go back again!

Walking to Witley Court

Witley Court's river

Witley Court

Hooray!

This was the main highlight of my day trip. And I am thoroughly pleased to say that I was NOT disappointed by it at all. In my opinion, the history of Witley Court is to an extent bittersweet. Although originally one of the most extravagant country houses in the UK, it suffered from a terrible fire in 1937 that has left the majority of it in ruins. Fortunately, a great portion of its beauty and charm has still been retained as the pictures show. And with the help from a series of info panels accompanying the key highlights of property, it's still possible to imagine how luxurious and spectacular the decor used to be.

The south facade

Inside the conservatory

Peeking through Witley Court

Personally, I would say that it is genuinely one of the most romantic and attractive Grade 1 buildings I have EVER been to in the UK.

The east parterre

Roaming around the garden

Next to the south facade

When I travel, I like to go in whatever direction my mood and guts take me in. Having ground rules can make travelling too stressful! However, if you did want me to recommend a must-see part of Witley Court so that you can plan out your route, then you should certainly pencil in the Perseus & Andromeda Fountain. It's design based on the Greek myth about Perseus flying on Pegasus to save his to-be-spouse, Andromeda, from a terrifying sea creature. An eye-catching masterpiece, water is shot from the fountain at every hour between 10am to 5pm. It's definitely something you HAVE to photography (and also film!).

The Fountain's sleeping

The Fountain's alive!

Great Witley Church

Outdoor tearoom

Taking it easy

Which way is which?

If you're feeling a bit peckish and tired after walking around Witley Court and all its garden trails, then head next door to the lovely little outdoor tearoom run by Great Witley Church . The pear flavoured popsicle is highly recommended (by me), just to let you know. And whilst you're there, why not check out the Church itself? I mean, who would have thought that a church with such a simple exterior could be so much more extravagant on the inside? See my pictures if you don't believe me.

Arriving at Great Witley Church

The Church's baroque styled interior

There are 48 ceremonial counties in England alone, and I have now officially visited 25 (= an average of around 6 new ones annually across the 4 years I've been here).

Bring on the next one :)

Mondays could never have been this enjoyable

Warner Brothers Harry Potter Studio Tour

The most “magical” place on earth

I think the above quote is often associated with Disneyland/World. However, on this occasion, I think the Warner Brother’s Harry Potter tour in Watford takes the crown. Yes that’s right, I’ve FINALLY gone to see the set and props that were responsible for creating the wizarding world seen in the 8 globally popular films. Whoopee and it was indeed an exciting day. Despite having to get up in the early hours to catch the train and then the bus, I managed to arrive at Hogwarts around 45 minutes before the gates were lifted. It made taking photos of the reception area much easier seeing as it wasn’t crowded!

In the reception...

Emphasis on the number of photos taken at the famous door

The great and grand dining hall

After entering the studio, we were greeted by a wall (or cube) of posters that advertised the famous film in multiple languages (think Chinese, French etc.). Having marveled at them and spotted the ones that we could comprehend, the doors to a mini cinema then opened automatically where we watched a short clip that summarized all of the movies with a short commentary by the three protagonists (Harry, Ron & Hermione). Thereafter we walked as a group towards the door of great dining hall, took a few embarrassing (but funny) photos, and began our magical adventure.

Image roll - just a couple of my favorites

One word: breathtaking

I don’t think there was a second where I didn’t feel enchanted by the spectacular items that were on display before me. From statues to staircases, costumes to Crookshanks, and wands to Weasley Wizard Wheezes, every aspect of the studio was utterly bewitching.

The famed cupboard under the stairs

Pottering around the fan store

What I found the most interesting was how the movie was put together. I never knew that a robotic head was placed on a taller Hagrid double, for the original actor was not exactly a 7ft tall giant (he was around 6ft something, still pretty tall though!), or that the room where Potions was held had previously been used as the three-headed canine monster, Fluffy, in the Sorcerer’s Stone. It’s utterly amazing how much they’ve managed to transform a couple of simple types of equipment with just a bit of imagination. If there’s something I’ve learnt from this trip, it’s that magic does exist: in films!

Next stop...

If you ever go to the Harry Potter tour, be sure to try the (non-alcoholic) butter beer (which is also available as an ice cream flavor). It’s sweet, creamy and somewhat fizzy; kinda like a butterscotch soda pop! Definitely hit the spot after a long walk in the first part of the tour. Now if only I could get some more of that in the muggle world…

The perfect beverage for a quick pit stop!

Movie magic at its best

The circle of life wands

In truth, it is immensely difficult for me to pick what my most favorite part of the tour was. Every bit of it was magnificent. But since you so kindly asked me, I’ll say that it was Diagon Alley. Loved how we could wander up and take photos of every single shop there, simply sensational.

I was also charmed by the life size model of Hogwarts; I mean honestly, have you SEEN the detail and time that was needed to construct the school bridge? Dumbledore's office was equally as fantastic - the detail put into every aspect of it was simply incredible.

Hogwarts's exterior and interior (Dumbledore's Office)

And of course, I daresay I was not the only one who was delighted to see a beautifully hand-drawn sketch of Dobby the house elf on the wall (it’s in the photo below).

But aside from the treasures and treats that crafted the fantasy world I was exploring, the absolute highlight of the day for myself personally was being able to visit the studio with some long-lost friends. I like travelling alone, but it’s always a bit more fun to go somewhere with others (it was also useful for me on that day as well seeing as my camera had broken but theirs hadn’t).

Wizard treats and snacks

Educational and entertaining – I went back with a very big smile on my face after a day of catching up with friends and magic at the Warner Brothers Harry Potter Studio tour.

All aboard the Hogwarts express

Don’t believe me? Go see for yourself ;)

The most stunning view ever.