East elevation, Polesden Lacey, Great Bookham, near Dorking

Image: © Brian Robert Marshall Taken: 15 May 2016

The original house was built by the famous master builder Thomas Cubitt in the 1820s. In the early 20th century it was much extended by subsequent owners and is now in most respects an Edwardian property. It was owned from 1906 to 1942 by Margaret Greville, a very wealthy widow. On her death she left the house to the much-loved and often unfairly reviled National Trust, rather to the surprise of George VI and Queen Elizabeth who had apparently expected to inherit the property, an expectation based on a promise supposedly made to George V by Margaret in 1914. Perhaps this was just as well as Elizabeth allegedly subsequently opined that the property would entail a lot of upkeeping. Elizabeth had to console herself with several thousand pounds worth of jewellery instead. For information about the house's interior see http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/polesden-lacey/features/a-tour-around-the-house-at-polesden-lacey

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