This pages gives a quick list of updates to the website so you can see whats been added since your last visit!

Additions are no longer being regular made, as the project has largely conclude, although minor additions or edits may be made from time to time if new material comes to light.

July 2017

• Womens Institute Jubilee Book 1955 – digital copy of the famous local history book created in 1955 by the Great Witley WI.

June 2017

• Witleys Oral History Celebration Event – a summary of our event on 17 June 2017 attended by 90 local people who have contributed to the project.
• 80 Photographs added to our Photo Collection.
• Adrian Symonds – returned to Great Witley from St Peter’s in Worcester with his wife and son, going back to his family house. He spent all his childhood in the village, and was educated at both the village school and the Chantry High School at Martley (1988-93). Adrian also talks about the stand off between Owain Glyndwr (on Woodbury Hill) & Henry IV (on Abberley Hill) in 1405. New page and recordings added.
• Ben Cooper – a tribute to Ben who worked at Witley Court from 1970 onwards.
• Bill & Tom Dallow – Bill was born and grew up in Great Witley, his father was PC Tom Dallow who policed the area from 1957 to 1974. New page and recording added.
• A summary of local farms and farming, written by Ruth Butler & Judy Henshaw.
• John Lane – well known merchant from Stanford Bridge, describes life in the area in the early & mid 1930s.
• Hop Picking memories 1930s

May 2017

• Royal Air Force aircraft crashes in the Great Witley area. Page and photos added.
• Hilary Bowen – worked in and lived in Great Witley since the late 1950s predominately in agriculture with her late husband Mr Doug Bowen. Hilary recalls many aspects of farming in the local area and the wide ranging changes she has seen take place during the last 60 or so years. New page & recording added.
• Ray Thomas – moved to Great Witley in 1970 aged 40 to take up the position of Police Sergeant following his promotion. Ray worked closely with Tom Dallow, the police constable in Great Witley and together they were responsible for a ‘section’ known as Martley, Clifton Clows Top, Astley, & Callow Hill, which included many smaller villages within those areas. New page & recording added.
• Dixon Stinton – born 1928 and has lived in Witton Hill, between Wichenford and Martley all his life. He remembers going to Little Witley School from the age of 4 and a half. New page and recording added.
• Suzanne Owen – daughter in law of Arty Owen, wife of Andrew Owen and mother of Philip and Sally-Anne. Suzanne was much involved with the playgroup in Great Witley at its conception, long time school governor for Great Witley Primary School and currently president of the Little Witley WI. Suzanne still helps on Chapel Farm, Little Witley now run by her son, Philip. New page & recording added.
• Peter & Diana Hill – lived in Little Witley since 1983  with a long term involvement with the Church, Village Hall and Parish Council, as well as Little Witley WI. New page and recording added.
• Barbara Simmons – born in Little Witley in 1935 and grew up in Winnall Cottage where her parents, grandparents and great grandparents had lived. Her grandfather, Tom Jones had been a gamekeeper at Witley Court. New page & recording added.
• Peter Hill – moved to Yarhampton (between Great Witley and Stourport) when he married Shirley Gresley, from Great Witley, in 1960. He tells stories of life in the Great Witley Choral Society presenting Gilbert and Sullivan operettas, the scope of the activities of Great Witley Womens’ Institute (where his wife was the Treasurer for many years) and his bell-ringing activities in churches in the surrounding area. New page & recording added.
• John Westwood – moved to Structon’s Heath, Great Witley after marrying in 1968. John had worked as a bricklayer since leaving school at 15 and later in life undertook restoration work on Witley Court. New page & recording added.
• John Gorton  –  born in 1943 and has lived in Little Witley since 1978. He has been in farming all his life. Over the years he has worked the Ballards at Abberley,  at Wulstan’s Farm, with the Colwills at Dingle Farm and the Harpers at Holt Heath. New page and recording added.

March 2017

• 75 new photos added to our Photo Collection
• 5 new documents added to our Documents Collection.

February 2017

• Derek Newton – Derek Newton moved to the Witleys from Shropshire at the end of the 1940s, and stayed here until the mid 1950s. His father was farm manager at Witley Court Farm and the family lived at Witley Court Worcester Lodge – one of the two lodges situated at the entrances to the Court. New page and recording added.
• Witley Court Sale 1939 – catalogue map showing 8 Lots now added.
• Tony Quarterman – spent all his life in Great Witley. Attended Great Witley School, and later worked in the family road haulage business. Tony was also regular competitor at the Red Marley Hillclimb during the 1950s and 1960s. New page and recording added.
• Eastgrove Cottage – detailed background added along with Carol & Malcom Skinners recording about how they found and developed the cottage gardens.
• Ben Hinton was head keeper at Witley Court in the early and mid 1900s working for Lord Dudley and Sir Herbert Smith. Absolutely fascinating description of life on Witley Court. New page and recording added.
• Shrawley & Great Witley Parsh Magazines – all issues from 2015 uploaded.
• Witley Court Map 1938 – map donated by Diana Pollack now restored. Shows Timber parcels on the estate, possibly from the sale catalogue.

January 2017

• David Harper – his family have built up the Top Barn Farm enterprise at Holt Heath. New page added.
• Shirley Griffin – was born during World War Two at Woodbury Hill Farm and grew up in Great Witley – New page added.
• John Taylor – hisfather was the Maintenance Engineer for the Abberley Preparatory School although he went to Great Witley Village School from 1938. As a young boy he lived in the former Toll House at the bottom of the Bromyard Road. John tells many stories of life as a young boy playing in the village and on his bike in the tunnels leading from the Fountain at Witley Court to Martley. He also recalls the snow in the vicious winter of 1947 and the resulting landslide on Abberley Hill which was reported nationally. New page added.
• Brian Rea – brought up at Foxhall Farm (once known as Vauxhall Farm) on the Stourport Road. The farm was formerly part of the estate of Witley Court and recalls German prisoners of war working on the family farm. New page added.

December 2016

• Malcolm and Carol Skinner moved to Eastgrove Cottage in Sankyns Green from Birmingham in 1975 and set about making the quintessential English cottage garden – new page added.

November 2016

• Little Witley Jazz Club – burst on to the jazz scene on May 1st 1981 with a gig featuring the Zenith Hot Stompers – new page added.

April 2016

• Simon Mason Wall – current Lord of Great Witley – new page added, along with photos of his grandfather John Mason Wall who lived at Cherry Cottage on Martley Hillside.

March 2016

• Great Witley & Hillhampton Parish Council – new page added detail the history of the parish council.
• Hillhampton House – extended description added along with numerous photos and extract from the WI 1955 Jubilee Book describing the house and including a narrative from the Goodwoods – owners in the 1930s.
• Vernon & Veronica Ashley – joint founders of  Little Witley Jazz Club remember the inaugural gig in 1981 and how the venue has become known for jazz across the world.
• Witley Court Timber Sale 1938 – News article at the time and Judy Goodman talking about the sale of standing timber in the 1938 sale at Witley Court. Some of the timber was used to build British minesweepers used in Second World War.
• Great Witley & Hillhampton Pictorial Map – Diana Windsors hand drawn map
• Millenium Photo – added Great Witley & Hillhampton Millennium Photo of residents

February 2016

• Diana Pollock – moved to Great Witley in 1981. Diana researched and created a Great Witley & Hillhampton pictorial parish map which records many transient aspects of historical memories – page and recording added.
• George Herbert Banks (founder of G Herbert Banks estate Agents) – page and photo added.
• Great Witley CE School go on a history walk around the village.
• Parish Magazine Collection – 2013 & 2014 now added- copies of the Shrawley & Witleys parish magazines available from 2009 to 2014

January 2016

• Walsgrove Farm – well known local farm on the slopes of Walsgrove Hill in Great Witley.
• Parish Magazine Collection added- copies of the Shrawley & Witleys parish magazines from 2009 to 2012
• Abberley Clock Tower – page added with video of the internal clock workings as it chimes
• The Quartergreen – sports area and playground at Great Witley developed in late 1980’s – new page and photos added along with Judy Goodmans recording about how the Quartergreen was established.
• Geoff & Judy Goodman –  have farmed at Walsgrove Farm in Great Witley since the late 1950s – new page added with eight recordings.
• Bowens Field – a recreational open space in Great Witley developed in 2010, and named after local resident Doug Bowen – new page and photos added along with Geoff Goodmans recording about how Bowens Field was established.
• Joan Banks – moved to the Bank House at Stanford in the Teme Valley before her teens. As the second world war started, Joan was a young teenager and she went to work at Hill House Farm in Great Witley. Whilst there she met and married her husband Tony Bank – new page and two recordings added.

December 2015

• Peter Davies – moved to the Engine House in 1999. At the time, it was not habitable, and Peter describes how the house was turned into the family home, despite being forced to move out twice due the the floods in 2007
• John & Pauline Fortey – John moved to Great Witley aged 7 yrs in 1944 and was joined by Pauline in 1963 when they married. They lived at the Post Office until 1973 when they moved away. Page added with two recordings.
• Anne Birkmyre – moved to Camp Lane in Great Witley aged 16 in 1951 – new page and recording added
• Then & Now – How Things Have Changed section – 6 new videos added

November 2015

• Timeline page added  listing items in date order
• David Banks – from Hill House Farm and G Herbert Banks estate agents – new page and recordings added.
• Black Leopard – new page added about the sighting in 1992
• Bob Dylan – page added about his ghost hunt at Witley Court
• Geoff Francis – grew up and lived in Great Witley 1954-72 and still and resident in the area – new page and four recordings added including memories of driving on the frozen Hundred Pool in 1963.
• Mavis Green (nee Holyhead) – lived at Redmarley police station 1925-41 – page added.
• Daphne Jeffrey – Little Witley resident since 1990, remembers the old mill and mink farm at Holt – new page and recording added.
• Arthur Moore – coach builder and owner of Central Garage – page extensively updated with new text and photos
• Derek Newton – lived at Witley Court Worcester Lodge 1940s/50s and father managed Witley Court Farm – new page and recording added.
• Procal Harum – page added about their Witley Court video
• Samuel Thorp Clock at Witley Court Church – page added with photo, history and details of the recent restoration.
• Doug Sheward – Great Witley resident since 1963, and member of Martley Civil Defence – new page and recording
• Tom Quarterman – local coal merchant, haulier and benefactor – page added

October 2015

• Don Bowen – lifelong resident, working in horticulture & agriculture and member of local bowling and air rifle clubs – page updated and second recording added.
• Richard Quarterman – lifelong local resident from the well know Quartermans haulage firm, and veteran of Redmarley Hill Climb – new page and recording added.
• Great Witley Operatic Society – new page added

September 2015

• Anne Birkmyre – local resident – new page and recording added
• Ben Cooper – worked for Lord Dudley & Sir Herbert Smith at Witley Court in the first half of the 20th century – new page and recording added.
• George Crumpton – waggoner at Hill House Farm, Great Witley – photo added
• Jack Field – ran Thrift Club at Hundred House – new page added
• John & Pat Hancock – local residents – new page and recording added.
• William Wall – headmaster of Great Witley School from 1901 to 1932 – new page added.
• Canon Wilson – Rector of Witley 1910-45 – new page added, including fascinating memories of life at that time written by his son Christopher.

August 2015

• Then & Now – new section created to compare old photos with current ones of same place or theme.

July 2015

• Winter of 1963 – video added showing Geoff Frances driving on the frozen Washing Pool at Witley Court.

June 2015

• Colonel & Francis Hildick-Smith – Redmarley Orchards – page and recordings added.

April 2015

• Great Witley Home Guard WW2 – new page with detailed history and pictures
• Great Witley Filling Station – added detailed history and new 1950s picture
• Angela & Dorothy Norton – page added with recording

February 2015

• Arthur Moore & Sons – page and photos added
• Central Garage – page and photos added
• Engine House – page and photo added
• Gill Henley – page and recording added
• Photo Collection section created
• Map Collection – section created