Get in touch…Polesden LaceyGreat BookhamNr DorkingSurreyRH5 6BD

Email: polesdenlacey@nationaltrust.org.ukwww.nationaltrust.org.uk/polesdenlacey

… keep in touchTel: 01372 452048 @PolesdenLaceyNT PolesdenLaceyNT PolesdenLaceyNT

For alternative formats, please call us on 01372 452048 or email polesdenlacey@nationaltrust.org.uk

As a National Trust member, you’ll be able to enjoy 500 special places as often as you like. To join, speak to one of our team during your visit or visit our website www.nationaltrust.org.uk

© National Trust 2019. The National Trust is a Registered Charity, no. 205846.

A quick introduction

Welcome to Polesden Lacey

Polesden Lacey was the weekend party house of Margaret Greville, a popular and powerful socialite in the early 1900s. Though born to quiet beginnings, Mrs Greville had a gift for networking. Here at Polesden Lacey she entertained the cream of society, from aristocrats, movie stars and maharajas, to royalty including Edward VII and King George VI.

The Duke and Duchess of York, later known as King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, even spent part of their honeymoon here.

Dairy Courtyard, including: Coffee shop ToiletsStable Courtyard, including: Visitor Reception Café Gift shop Garden shop Shepherd’s Hut and informationPet CemeteryLadies Garden, where Mrs Greville is buried Rose GardenHome Farm Orchard*, chicken coop & beehivesIris Garden & Lavender GardenWinter Garden

Please use the dog waste bins marked by paw prints on the map

The main toilets are opposite the Coffee Shop

We also have seasonal toilets (marked in pink) in the grounds from April to September

A shuttle bus service is usually available between the car park, Visitor Reception and the House

We welcome dogs on short leads within the marked area of the pleasure grounds

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Kitchen Garden & Cut Flowers GardenDouble Herbaceous BorderSecondhand bookshopUpper Sunken GardenSouth LawnHouse EntranceNun’s WalkLong WalkTheatre LawnSquirrel’s Corner, Natural Play areaBird HidePreserve CopseCrab Apple Orchard (there are no apples here)*Admiral’s Walk Here you’ll find a refreshment area with hot and cold drinks, snacks and ice cream.

*Picnic tables can be found here14

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Polesden Lacey…

...for culture lovers Visit the house to see the treasure trove of Fabergé, ceramics and Dutch Old Masters, collected by Margaret Greville on her world travels. Join one of our introductory talks at the front of the house to find out more about Mrs Greville and her opulent party house. Or join an Unseen Spaces tour for a look behind the scenes and to see our conservation and restoration work in progress.

…for families Discover the tree swings along Admiral’s Walk and enjoy an ice cream. Take a seat in the bird hide and wait for feathered friends; you might even see our resident peacock. Finally, no visit to Polesden Lacey is complete without a stroll to Home Farm Orchard to chat with the bees, bugs and chickens.

…for nature lovers Pick up a Garden Gossip newsletter from Visitor Reception, our guide to seasonal highlights around the gardens, or join one of our Garden Tours. If you have a little more time, follow one of our four way- marked routes across the estate. Each offers colourful views that change with every season. Pick up an Estate Walks brochure (£1) from Visitor Reception for more information about each route.

When Mrs Greville died in 1942, leaving Polesden Lacey to the National Trust, she felt the main value of her bequest was in her collections. Mrs Greville’s house is a treasure trove of Dutch, Italian and British paintings, Chinese and European ceramics and exquisite objets d’art.

Polesden was designed to impress – from the glittering golden walls of the Saloon to the carved reredos in the Central Hall. Today you can explore this luxury party house yourself.

We work throughout the year to care for and conserve the house and collection. One of the conservation factors we have to consider is light. By ‘resting’ rooms we reduce the irreversible deterioration of areas, particularly textiles. We even need to rest the floorboards, which weren’t built to host as many visitors as we are able to welcome today.

For this reason it’s not always possible to visit every room. Some rooms which are not open today will be open later in the year.

Why not;

• Join a house tour, held every weekday morning between 11am and 12pm

• Take an Unseen Spaces tour, held every weekday* at 2.15pm *Excluding bank holidays

• Explore the house at your own pace from 12.30pm on weekdays and all day at weekends

The formal gardens burst to life in spring, with snowdrops, daffodils and bluebells the first to bloom. Throughout the summer, the Rose Garden and double Herbaceous Borders will be full of colour and fragrance.

The less formal pleasure grounds are perfect for a gentle stroll and boast panoramic viewpoints over the estate.

Our 1,400 acre estate is part of the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and full of life. Wander its quiet paths and explore Ranmore Common, our Ancient Woodland and Site of Special Scientific Interest. Look out for butterflies and bluebells in spring, and dragonflies and orchids during the summer. You can pick up an Estate Walks leaflet from Visitor Reception (£1).

Why not:

• Join a garden tour, held daily in the week from April to September, and at weekends from October to March • Check our website or What’s On leaflet to find out what seasonal walks are happening in the gardens and on the estate

• Meet a Polesden Gardener to find out about the work our team are carrying out in the gardens. These talks are on the last Wednesday of every month, unless otherwise advertised

The Café serves a range of delicious food, from cream teas and light bites to hot meals, all made, where possible, with seasonal fruit and vegetables grown in our gardens.

Stop off at the Coffee Shop to pick up essentials for your picnic or for well-deserved coffee and cake after a walk across the estate.

We serve hot food daily from 12–3pm. The café, coffee shop and shops close at 5pm.

Our gift shop stocks luxury homeware, gifts, fine foods and a range of books, including rare and collector’s editions. Don’t miss our craft range, made by local artisans, which includes jewellery, candles, beer and more. In the garden

shop, browse bulb sets, seeds, plants, garden accessories and gardening books.

Find novels, first editions, childrens’ books and more in our second-hand bookshop.

Thank youEvery time you shop in our gift shop, garden shop, bookshop or cafe, you’re helping us look after Polesden Lacey for future generations. All profits go directly to fund our conservation work.

Our main customer toilets are opposite the coffee shop as you enter Polesden Lacey from the car park. There are more toilets in the grounds from April to September. These are marked on the map in pink.

The House Gardens and Estate

Eating and Shopping