HISTORIC Witley Court is the fastest growing English Heritage attraction in the West Midlands region with around 60,000 visitors so far this year.

Attendance is up 38 per cent on last year which saw figures rise 58 per cent on 1999's figures.

News of the court's success came as the national conservation organisation unveiled details of the latest attraction at Witley Court last week.

Part of the 60-acre grounds of the ruined 19th century mansion will be used to create the conservation organisation's sixth contemporary heritage garden.

Contemporary sculpture will be on show within a woodland and meadowland setting.

English Heritage is confident the garden, which will be funded through a £1.5 million national initiative, will help boost visitor numbers. Numbers look set to rise further too when the monumental Perseus fountain is restored in April 2003.

A spokeswoman for the organisation said the opening of Jerwood Sculpture Park last August, the first permanent site of its kind in the West Midlands, as well as theatrical events in the evening, was attracting more and more people including repeat visitors.

John Watkins, English Heritage head of gardens and landscape, said: "The Contemporary Heritage Gardens initiative is giving top garden and landscape designers a rare opportunity to work in some of the nation's most fascinating historic sites."

Work on the new garden will start later this year and planting in the 'sculpture wilderness' will be completed in 2002.

An exhibition of the five designs for the wilderness can be seen at the site, which is open until September 30, from 10am to 6pm daily.