The weather not so good today.
Breakfast and an early visit for Kate who looked just as trim and great as usual. A catch up all old times and then she was off to prepare for her few days away in Bath for a hens party. A bit nervous though at the thought of the pole dancing class that had been set up for them all.
Overcast and the threat of rain. However it was not enough to deter us from going out to Dorking to where Mum lived as a young girl and where her Grandparents were married and buried.
Polesden Lacy was our first stop.A regency villa and 1400 acre estate in the beautiful Surrey Hills. This is where our Great Grandfather was the head gardener in the early 1900's. A magnificent home that was owned by a Mrs Greville.
A fortune inherited from her father Mr William McEwan an Edinburgh brewing millionaire and philanthropist enabled her and her husnband to buy Polesden Lacy in 1906 which was then bequethed to the National Trust in memory of her father in 1942 when she died.
Caught up with the house manager Paul Dearn who was very interested to hear about our family connection with the house. They are looking for whatever information they can find about the house and its working history as nearly all the details were destroyed by Mrs Greville's butler on her death at her request.
It is known that she was a great entertainer and friend of the royal family especially the late Queen Mother who spent her honeymoon there.
We checked out the gardens and the office and desk where the head gardener would have sat. Strange to think about how we were probably standing in the same greenhouse and potting shed that he might well have worked in. As I have some newspaper cuttings at home about 'old man Cole ' as he was called I will send copies to Paul to see if he can match him up in any of the gardeners photographs that they have.
It was then off to St.Michael's Church in Mickleham to look for our Great grand parents grave in the churchyard. This is where they were married and I believe my mother was christened.
Unfortunately where we thought his grave was it was so overgrown and really no headstone in existence we left disappointed, but not before looking at the ancient church which is mentioned in the Domesday Book (1080-1086)
It is also very sad that the Bible that was kept in the Chapel with all the details of the parishes births,deaths and marriages was stolen some years ago and has never been found.
It wasn't far to go to where our Great Grandparents lived in Chapel Lane. Three terrace cottages,Camilla Lacy Cottage, Hillcot and Oakburn. We are not exactly sure which one it was as Mum couldn't remember when Sue brought her here on a visit a few years ago. Mum looked after her Grandparents when she was 16 years old and use to walk across the fields and lane which is now a main road.
He lived here when he was a companion and gardener to George Merideth at Flint Cottage on Box Hill.
No time to go up Box Hill to see Flint Cottage as we had to head back to home in time for Stuart and not knowing what the traffic would be like we set off in plenty of time.
As it was we had a dream run home and had enough time for us all to go down to their club the Lensbury at Teddington lock for a drink and chat overlooking the river.
A great day and we have been promised that summer would be with us tomorrow!
Breakfast and an early visit for Kate who looked just as trim and great as usual. A catch up all old times and then she was off to prepare for her few days away in Bath for a hens party. A bit nervous though at the thought of the pole dancing class that had been set up for them all.
Overcast and the threat of rain. However it was not enough to deter us from going out to Dorking to where Mum lived as a young girl and where her Grandparents were married and buried.
Polesden Lacy was our first stop.A regency villa and 1400 acre estate in the beautiful Surrey Hills. This is where our Great Grandfather was the head gardener in the early 1900's. A magnificent home that was owned by a Mrs Greville.
A fortune inherited from her father Mr William McEwan an Edinburgh brewing millionaire and philanthropist enabled her and her husnband to buy Polesden Lacy in 1906 which was then bequethed to the National Trust in memory of her father in 1942 when she died.
Caught up with the house manager Paul Dearn who was very interested to hear about our family connection with the house. They are looking for whatever information they can find about the house and its working history as nearly all the details were destroyed by Mrs Greville's butler on her death at her request.
It is known that she was a great entertainer and friend of the royal family especially the late Queen Mother who spent her honeymoon there.
We checked out the gardens and the office and desk where the head gardener would have sat. Strange to think about how we were probably standing in the same greenhouse and potting shed that he might well have worked in. As I have some newspaper cuttings at home about 'old man Cole ' as he was called I will send copies to Paul to see if he can match him up in any of the gardeners photographs that they have.
It was then off to St.Michael's Church in Mickleham to look for our Great grand parents grave in the churchyard. This is where they were married and I believe my mother was christened.
Unfortunately where we thought his grave was it was so overgrown and really no headstone in existence we left disappointed, but not before looking at the ancient church which is mentioned in the Domesday Book (1080-1086)
It is also very sad that the Bible that was kept in the Chapel with all the details of the parishes births,deaths and marriages was stolen some years ago and has never been found.
It wasn't far to go to where our Great Grandparents lived in Chapel Lane. Three terrace cottages,Camilla Lacy Cottage, Hillcot and Oakburn. We are not exactly sure which one it was as Mum couldn't remember when Sue brought her here on a visit a few years ago. Mum looked after her Grandparents when she was 16 years old and use to walk across the fields and lane which is now a main road.
He lived here when he was a companion and gardener to George Merideth at Flint Cottage on Box Hill.
No time to go up Box Hill to see Flint Cottage as we had to head back to home in time for Stuart and not knowing what the traffic would be like we set off in plenty of time.
As it was we had a dream run home and had enough time for us all to go down to their club the Lensbury at Teddington lock for a drink and chat overlooking the river.
A great day and we have been promised that summer would be with us tomorrow!
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