After leaving Clandon Park, we headed to Polesden Lacey nearby for a restoring burst of National Trust normality. An Edwardian country retreat, it was home to famous society hostess Mrs Margaret Greville, and is presented as it would have been in her time, with her collection of furniture, paintings, porcelain and silver.

The house was completely rebuilt by Thomas Cubitt in 1824, and remodelled for the Grevilles by the architects responsible for the Ritz – hence the luxurious bathrooms!

This picture definitely didn’t get taken thanks to the Cambridge connection. Honest. [I just thought it was a pretty clock… honest.]

Beautiful decanter details in the dining room were a highlight for one of us… [I just wish what was inside had been real rather than Ribena.]

And this stunning tiara (replica) was a highlight for the other! [Snooze.]

Steinway piano strings…

And possibly the most sparkly room we’ve ever seen. Seriously. Named the ‘gold room’, it was designed to impress visiting kings, queens and maharajahs, and this sentiment is evident. From the gold walls and ceilings…

To the chandeliers…

To the furniture, decorations and art… It is quite spectacular.

After all that, you almost felt as though you needed a good sit down and a drink.

The calmness of Polesden was particularly special after seeing the aftermath of such panic at Clandon. Polesden itself had a fire in 1960 (although less widespread than Clandon’s), and was restored to its current state.

We walked amongst the estate, too, which had some unusual features, like this high bridge.

As ever, we’d recommend Polesden for a day trip, although if you’re looking for a stunning garden you may not find it here – but for us the house more than made up for it. And all within a short distance of the M25!