Meeting – 2nd April 2019
March 26th, 2019Our next meeting at St Saviour’s Church Hall is on Tuesday 2nd April 2019 at 8.00pm when we will have a presentation by Derek Clarke RIBA entitled “The Restoration of the Perseus and Andromeda Fountain at Witley Court. Derek, a retired architect, has visited us on a number of occasions to talk on topics such as the Birmingham Back to Backs and the restoration of the Old Royal Naval College at Greenwich. He was the Project Architect in both cases and his depth of knowledge is matched by his presentation style which is both educational and entertaining.
If you have been to Witley Court in recent years you will have seen the glorious sight of the fountain performing. It was built by the Earl of Dudley in 1860 but due to the declining fortunes of the family the Court was sold after the First World War. This was the start of generations of neglect and after a disastrous fire in 1937 the estate was broken up and the house subsequently stripped of its fittings and furnishings. The fountain fell into disuse and decay. There is a story that Bing Crosby once tried to buy it! Derek will tell us how it was brought back to life.
Visitors are most welcome at all our events – see Home for details and contacts.