With the sort of UK summer that we’ve only dreamed of for years I have to confess I’m struggling to find the time or motivation to write my blog, especially when there are lazy jazz Sundays to be had at Polesdon Lacey, a gorgeous mansion and gardens with stunning views of the Surrey Hills.
The South Lawn at the back of the house is the setting for weekly live performances which are the perfect back drop for spreading out a rug, a picnic and the Sunday papers. I’m not sure when reading the papers became a guilty pleasure rather than a weekly ritual. I guess it was when I moved to Surrey and swapped a flat for a house and garden that seem to need constant attention.
That’s probably why taking the papers out of the house and driving over to Polesdon was so much better. Chores that are out of sight are out of mind, for a while at least. And Polesdon has lots more than jazz to offer with beautiful gardens and a house filled with history. It was home to a famous Edwardian hostess Mrs Greville, who entertained royalty and the celebrities of her time. The Queen Mother honeymooned there and evidently described it as a ‘delicious house’.
There are certainly plenty of delicious treats on offer in the cafe and the coffee shop/deli if you don’t have the time or inclination to put together a picnic. The gift shop is a good one too, bigger than some National Trust properties and there’s a separate garden shop and even a second hand bookshop inside the house.
So lots of see and do, or if the weather’s good and the mellow sounds of a jazz singer appeal then you might just do as I did and spend a lazy couple of hours listening, reading, chatting and enjoying the views of Surrey’s beautiful countryside. I might have more chores to do these days, but when I forget them for a while I remember I do live in a very nice part of the world.
Polesdon Lacey is in Great Bookham about four miles outside Dorking, which is one of Surrey’s nicest market towns so well worth a visit before or after too.
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