WITLEY Court has been held in high regard ever since it was built on the site of an older house by ironmaster Thomas Foley in 1665.

In the 19th century the Earl of Dudley inherited the estate and set about transforming it. He called in leading landscape designer William Andrews Nesfield.

Nesfield created the great fountain and planted avenues of clipped evergreens and shrubs. Its grandeur survived until 1937 when a fire caused havoc.

The flames devastated the gardens and destroyed the mansion and the estate fell into a long decline.

The site's fortunes changed in 1972 when the then-owners asked the government to take over its management.

Today the property remains in the care of English Heritage and, every year, the ruins attract thousands of visitors who come to watch live drama and dance, tour the gardens, take part in woodland walks and visit the estate's Baroque church.

"Witley Court dominates the local environment," said a spokesman for English Heritage. At the heart of the estate lie the court buildings, the surviving remains of a devastating fire in 1937 that turned a magnificent stately home into an impressive and striking ruin.

"The place, however, is far from derelict. Parts of one wing have been restored, while the Perseus and Andromeda fountain flows once more. And the woodland walks and ornamental parks are a much-loved local site, particularly as the gardens come into bloom."

St Michael and All Angels Church, the only part of the estate not on sale, boasts a breathtaking Italianate interior - gilded decorations, paintings by Antonio Bellucci and painted glass windows depicting New Testament scenes and an organ. The church, like the rest of the estate, is open daily to tourists.