A HISTORIC country house near Stourport is to feature as the beautiful backdrop to a BBC period drama.

Witley Court and Gardens, near Great Witley, provides a stunning setting to the BBC Two flagship period drama Close To the Enemy, directed by award-winning writer and director Stephen Poliakoff, which aired in November.

The episode which features English Heritage's Witley Court is due to be shown on Thursday (December 15) at 9pm on BBC Two.

Filming took place in late April and early May 2015 for the drama, produced by Little Island Productions in association with Endor Productions.

Witley Court site manager, Jenny Hatton said: “We thoroughly enjoyed having the crew from BBC Two’s Close to the Enemy filming at Witley Court and Gardens last year, and it has been a real delight to see how well they have captured Witley’s beauty in the finished series.”

Witley Court, known for its opulent nineteenth century interiors, became one of the country’s most spectacular ruins following a a devastating fire in 1937.

The seven part BBC series is mainly set in a bomb-damaged London hotel in the aftermath of the Second World War.

Jim Sturgess heads a cast, which also includes Freddie Highmore, Charlotte Riley and Alfie Allen.