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, who 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 houses a world-class collection of Old Master paintings as well as outstanding examples of ceramics and silver. Margaret Greville informed the majority of the collection, with important additions from her father. The eclectic mixture of objects is typical of contemporary taste, with a strong collection of objets d’art, including examples by Fabergé and Cartier.
