Polesden Lacey

Polesden Lacey

Polesden Lacey was built in 1821-3 by Thomas Cubitt; it was remodelled in 1902-6 by Sir Ambrose Poynter, and again by Mewes & Davis (architects of the Ritz Hotel in London) for Mrs Ronald Greville, whose husband bought the house in 1906. The exterior of Polesden Lacey retains the air of a Regency villa with roughcast and yellow-washed walls. The interiors, however, are a showcase of Edwardian opulence. Mrs Greville, one of the most celebrated hostesses in the Marlborough House circle of Edward VII, oversaw their decoration which involved bringing in spectacular features from other buildings. In the central hall, Edward Pierce’s oak panelling and decorative carvings originally formed the reredos of Christopher Wren’s St Matthew’s Church in London. For the Saloon, the architect Arthur Davis (joint partner in Mewes & Davis) provided an extravagantly carved and panelled ‘salone’ of c.1700, taken in its entirety from an Italian palazzo.

Polesden Lacey, Surrey (Accredited Museum)

This collection has 8,422 items online

Polesden Lacey has a world class collection of Dutch Old Master paintings, excellent examples of fine silverware, ceramics and maiolica. Society hostess Mrs Greville formed the majority of the collection, and was inspired by her father’s love of paintings. The eclectic mixture of objects is typical of contemporary taste. Mrs Greville also embraced the Edwardian collectors’ passion for objets d’art, including examples of Cartier and Fabergé, several of which were given to her as gifts by Royalty.

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