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Polesden Lacey

There has been a house at Polesden Lacey in one form or another since at least 1336. The name derives from Herbert de Polesden who traded land in this area in the twelfth century, and the family of John Lacey ,who owned Polesden Lacey in the fourteenth century.

Polesden Lacey's most famous owner was the eighteenth century playwright and MP Richard Sheridan. The house reflects the character of its best known resident. It is grand without being ostentatious, more friendly than overbearing. I like its homely two storeys. Standing on the lawn and looking at the front of the house, it's as though you're looking at a row of very smart terraced houses, that mainstay of British domestic architecture. Polesden Lacey does not look like your average mansion,and perhaps this is what attracted Sheridan. He followed his own course through life, following his own principles. At the time his attitudes often seemed scandalous, but turned out to be very proper to later generations. Polesden Lacey is a country estate, but it's a playful, individual one.

In his best known play A School For Scandal Sheridan accepted that scandal was part of the normal run of life, rather than the aberration it seems to be. Human society is not an ant colony where everything runs on set lines. It seems that in every age there has to be a degree of accepted unacceptable behaviour. Scandal fits this bill. Scandal is not proper, but it is not quite criminal; it is that divine middle way. The gardens at Polesden Lacey are that typical English balance between the wild and the ordered. If the newspapers always seem to be full of scandal, if the things we believe in keep getting tripped up and exposed as hoaxes by Sun reporters, a walk in the gardens at Polesden Lacey might give a more hopeful perspective.

 

Opening Times: the house is open March 15th to October 25th, Wednesday to Sunday, 11am - 5pm and from 26th October to 2nd November, Wednesday to Sunday, 11am - 4pm. Note that not all of the house is open to visitors. Much of it is used as a regional administrative centre for the National Trust. The garden is open all year round, everyday, 11am - 4pm from 26th October to 15th February and 11am - 5pm 16th February to 25th October. There is a shop and tea room which is open all year round. There are some closures 19th November, 16th -17th June and 5th - 6th January. The property is closed from 24th December - 2nd January.

Dogs on leads are welcome in the grounds.

Directions: Polesden Lacey is five miles north west of Dorking, Surrey, off the A246. Click here for an interactive road and satellite map centred on Polesden Lacey.

Access: there is a designated parking area next to the Stable Courtyard. Manual wheelchairs and powered mobility vehicles are available to book in advance. The buildings, and most of the grounds are wheelchair accessible, though there are slopes. Adapted toilet facilities are available. Braille and large print guides are available.

Contact:

telephone 01372 452048

web site:http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-vh/w-visits/w-findaplace/w-polesdenlacey.htm