Batty About Witley

View from the East The stark ruins of a glorious mansion ravaged by fire, the black silhouette of a bat against a pale white moon, and the dark shadow of a man stood watching the creatures of the night as they move around the crumbling masonry. No, it is not a scene from Gotham City, but Witley Court in Worcestershire, as head of visitor operations, Mark Badger, checks the site at dusk for any stragglers!

If Batman had been British, then Witley Court would have been his home, according to Mark. “When you see the movie, it is amazing how many parallels there are between the Wayne mansion in Batman Begins and Witley Court – and none so obvious as the ghostly ruins and large families of bats that inhabit each estate.”

Like the Wayne mansion, Witley Court was devastated by a fire which turned one of the most fashionable and talked about houses of its time into a vast palatial wreck over night. Sixty-eight years on, Witley has lost none of its allure and still has much to impress, from William Nesfield’s ‘Monster Work’ gardens to the celebrated elaborate and immense fountains, and the woodland walks and grounds – not to mention the bats!

Six different species of bat roost at Witley Court including the Pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pipistrellus), Brown Long-Eared (Plecotus auritus), Daubenton’s (Myotis daubentonii), Natterer’s (Myotis natterreri), Noctule (Nyctalus noctula) and the very rare Lesser Horseshoe (Rhinolophus hipposideros).

“We love having them here and are delighted that Witley Court provides a safe haven for the local bat population which has probably been roosting here since 1100 when the Court was first built,” adds Mark Badger.

For further information, please contact Witley Court on 01299 896636.