Bill Pardoe Stained Glass Artist

St Michael's Church, Great Witley

Bill had a love affair with the buildings at Great Witley for most of his life. He recorded in his memories how he visited the ‘Hundred House Hotel’ with his father sometime around 1914. There was a picture of the Royal Shooting party at Witley Court inside he wanted to see. Bill had to stay outside but was impressed by the way his father described the picture. Bill subsequently worked on the windows in the church at Witley Court and in later years lived in a caravan in the grounds of the Court and raised much money for the restoration fund by guiding groups of visitors, giving illustrated lectures and he also wrote a book—’Witley Court’ which was first published in 1985.

He also wrote the descriptions of all the windows in the church for the book ’Witley’ written by R. O. Walker and published in 1985.

He said, “In the summer of 1935 two of the windows were in a rather unstable state and bending in the wind. As a stained glass artist my advice was sought and as a result my interest in the Witley Church and nearby Court was aroused and has remained an absorbing preoccupation ever since.

The two windows in question were: ‘The Adoration of the Shepherds’ and ‘The Annunciation’, which were removed, releaded and made safe for over 40 years, until the firm of Hardman did considerable restoration work on the enamel painting of the windows which had deteriorated owing to damp conditions during the war and after.”

The Adoration of the Shepherds The Annunciation

Press Cuttings for Witley Court book and windows

Bill with his book on Witley Court

Bill beside the window in St Michael's
depicting the Worship of the Golden Calf.