An Inside Look at 10 Downing Street. The remaining interior space was converted into a courtyard. 8/29/2013. [40], Walpole did not enter through the now-famous door; that would not be installed until forty years later. Please note, if you have a media query concerning the Prime Minister or media access to. You can change your cookie settings at any time. Berlin An American simply by accident of birth, Margaret moved to London over 16 years ago and hasnt looked back since! SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA. Audio histories about Number 10 Downing Street, the office of the official residence of the UK Prime Minister Role. Corporation. A few prime ministers, such as Tony Blair, occasionally worked at the Cabinet Room table. In the summer of 1993 windows were rebuilt and in 1995 computer cables installed. It was an easy transition: he was already First Lord of the Treasury and he was already living in Number 10. With a keen interest in History and a BA degree to match Margaret prides herself on her knowledge of the amazing city she calls home and she's been guiding here now for nearly a decade. They are rearranged slightly to make room for a photograph of each new Prime Minister. One of the largest rooms was a study measuring forty feet by twenty with enormous windows overlooking St James's Park. [154], Number 10 is filled with fine paintings, sculptures, busts and furniture. Also, take a look at thevirtual tour of 10 Downing Streeton the UK Government's website. In 1974, it was suggested that permanent barriers should be erected to prevent the public from walking along the street. Despite the added measure, on 7 February 1991, the Provisional IRA used a van they parked in Whitehall to launch a mortar shell at Number 10. The introduction of films and television would strengthen this association. Upon Inquiry, however, it appeared that the House was attached to the Treasury as a Part of the Office. 10, Downing Street: detail of iron balustrading to main staircase, "YouTube Simon Schama's Tour of Downing Street. These included: the garden floor, the door and entrance foyer, the stairway, the hallway to the Cabinet Room, the Cabinet Room, the garden and terrace, the Small and Large State Rooms and the three reception rooms. There are plenty of other significant London sites within walking distance of Downing Street. The Cabinet Office press office only deals with enquiries from the media. Lord North certainly occupied it during the two years he was Chancellor of the Exchequer only. After reconstruction had begun, miners dug down into the foundations and found that the huge wooden beams supporting the house had decayed. This system was used until November 1897 when the Treasury assumed responsibility for purchasing and maintaining almost all of the furnishings in both the public and private areas except decorating the walls with art work. It will take only 2 minutes to fill in. He then moved the chimney to the east side, running a Y-shaped split flue inside the walls up either side of one of the windows above. The prime minister's chair, the only one with arms, is situated midway along one side in front of the marble fireplace, facing the windows; when not in use, it is positioned at an angle for easy access. Tony Blair entertained the England Rugby Union team in the Pillared Room after they won the World Cup in 2003. Waving the Anglo-German Agreement of Friendship, Neville Chamberlain proclaimed "Peace with honour" in 1938 from Number 10 after his meeting with Adolf Hitler in Munich. There have been a few exceptions. [10], Straightforward as the investment seemed, it proved otherwise. Although large, they were put up quickly and cheaply on soft soil with shallow foundations. Official page for the office of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, based at 10 Downing Street. Downing Street itself was built in the 1680s by Sir George Downing who had purchased a large tract of land near Parliament, on the edge of St. Jamess Park. We will be stepping up capacity of testing to 25,000 people in hospitals a day. the British government; refers to location of Prime Minister's residence [Br. Boston [170] Since Number 10 is formally part of the Cabinet Office, it reports directly to the Cabinet Secretary, who is currently[update] Simon Case. More extensive changes occur when a new Prime Minister takes office and redecorates. [28], The Lichfields followed James II into exile after the Glorious Revolution. Painted off-white with large floor to ceiling windows along one of the long walls, the room is light and airy. 10 Downing Street is located in the City of Westminster, just a short walk away from the Palace of Westminster and Parliament, Big Ben, and Westminster Abbey. Miami Within a few years, dry rot was discovered, especially in the main rooms due to inadequate waterproofing and a broken water pipe. He may be the most beloved resident of 10 Downing Street in the modern era and his activities are watched closely by the press and the adoring public. Here are some tips on how to get a good glimpse of the famous black door (and perhaps famous people as well). The Cabinet table, purchased during the Gladstone era, dominates the room. Montreal Residential Phone Book by Name, Address, Postal Code or By Reverse Phone Number Lookup, Edmonton A to Z Name Directory, Find a Resident of Edmonton by Last Name. Greater transparency across government is at the heart of our commitment to let you hold politicians and public bodies to account. In 1800 the wealth he had accumulated was used to found Downing College, Cambridge, as had been his wish should his descendants fail in the male line. [164] It is staffed by a mix of career civil servants and special advisers. 1 star. 6 Lord Street Lakes Business Park Botany, NSW 2019, Australia. (4) To see any comings and goings of the PM and other government members, Thursday morning is the best time, as this is when the PM and Cabinet meeting. The deterioration had been obvious for some time. Walpole commissioned William Kent to join the three houses and it is this larger house that is known as Number 10 Downing Street. "[57] (See Plan of the Design for Number 10 c1781. in the No 10 press office area to say goodbye to a special adviser . [136] Celebrity chefs such as Nigella Lawson have cooked for Prime Ministers' guests using the small kitchen next door. Larry the cat, whose officialtitle is Chief Mouser, has been living at 10 Downing Street since February 2011. This post covers tours of 10 Downing Street. You may want to take a video from the bus since a still shot might be hard to capture while the bus is in motion. [147] (See the Small Dining or Breakfast Room c1927. When Margaret Thatcher arrived in 1979 she insisted that the artwork had to be British and that it celebrate "British achievers". [134], The room is usually furnished with a table surrounded by 20 reproduction Adam style chairs originally made for the British Embassy in Rio de Janeiro. See letter, dated, "Downing Street, 30 June 1742", from. Most are included in a number of tourist attraction discount passes available to you in London. This time the Board of Works declared that "the Repairs, Alterations & Additions at the Chancellor of the Exchequer's House will amount to the sum of 5,580, exclusive of the sum for which they already have His Majesty's Warrant. (See The State Dining Room c1930: View toward the entrance[141][142] and View from the entrance[143] and also a more modern view[144])[145], The great kitchen located in the basement was another part of the renovations begun in 1783, probably also under the direction of Robert Taylor. When you spoke to me some time ago upon the subject of the House in Downing Street, I was under the impression, as you were yourself, that the house was the King's & that he might dispose of it in any manner he might think proper. With an area in No. Downing, a notorious spy for Oliver Cromwell and later Charles II, invested in property and acquired considerable wealth. As head of the Great Treasury Commission of 16671672, Albemarle transformed accounting methods and allowed the Crown greater control over expenses. Washington DC. George II took this opportunity to offer it to Robert Walpole, often called the first prime minister, as a gift for his services to the nation: stabilising its finances, keeping it at peace and securing the Hanoverian succession. Likes. And praying a Warrant for the said sum of 5,580and also praying an Imprest of that sum to enable them to pay the Workmen". The building itself is made up of over 100 hundred rooms only part of which is actually residential. [125], With its flat unadorned ceiling, simple mouldings and deep window seats, the Small Dining Room is intimate and comfortable. She was the grandmother of King George I, the Elector of Hanover, who became King of Great Britain in 1714, and was the great-grandmother of King George II, who presented the house to Walpole in 1732. With a wrought iron balustrade, embellished with a scroll design, and mahogany handrail, it rises from the garden floor to the third floor. [23], After Buckingham retired in 1676, Lady Charlotte Fitzroy, Charles II's daughter, moved in when she married Edward Lee, 1st Earl of Lichfield. In 1766, for example, Charles Townshend, Chancellor of the Exchequer, pointed out that the house was in a dilapidated condition. Walpole commissioned William Kent to convert them into one building. Premiership: The Development, Nature and Power of the Office of the British Prime Minister, Imprint Academic. [175], However, the Institute for Government has written that the Cabinet Office (of which the Prime Minister's Office is a component) "is a long way from becoming a fully fledged premier's department", primarily based on the fact that the prime minister "largely lacks the direct policy responsibilities, either in statute or by convention under the Royal Prerogative, possessed by secretaries of state, who have substantial budgets voted to them by Parliament."[176]. 10, Downing Street: breakfast room and smaller drawing room, Plate 117: No. The leaders reflected on the current state of Russia's. It was here that Edward Heath kept his grand piano. Tubs of flowers line the steps from the terrace; around the walls are rose beds with flowering and evergreen shrubs. Only a few are permanent features. [97][98][99], After the IRA mortar attack in 1991, the original black oak door was replaced by a blast-proof steel one. Pt 3: The Dining Room)[140] Prime Ministers made historic announcements from the front step. T: 011-61-293-552-2700. However, a number of challenging areas remain . From 2010 to 2012 and from May to September 2020, there was a Downing Street Permanent Secretary, held by Jeremy Heywood and Simon Case respectively, which ranked above the principal private Secretary to the prime minister. Since 1990 when the Terry reconstruction was completed, repairing, redecorating, remodelling, and updating the house has been ongoing as needed. 8,439 talking about this. The role of Downing Street Permanent Secretary was revived, with Samantha Jones holding the position on an interim basis.[173]. A committee found that the money spent so far was insufficient. 9. Emails can be sent to the Prime Ministers Office using the link above. [31], Johann Caspar von Bothmer, Premier Minister of the Electorate of Hanover, head of the German Chancery and adviser to George I and II, took up residency in 1720. 10 Downing, check out our guided Westminster Tourand ourLondon in a Day Tour, which both stop at Downing Street. After more careful studies were completed, it was concluded that the "total cost was likely to be 1,250,000" and would take two years to complete. [46], One reason many First Lords chose not to live in Number 10 was that most owned London town houses superior in size and quality. 2 stars. The doorbell is inscribed with "PUSH" although is rarely used in practice. News stories, speeches, letters and notices, Reports, analysis and official statistics, Data, Freedom of Information releases and corporate reports. We covered all issues in some detail, including the most difficult ones. The work included: "The Back passage into Downing street to be repaired and a new door; a New Necessary House to be made; To take down the Useless passage formerly made for the Maids of Honour to go into Downing Street, when the Queen lived at the Cockpit; To New Cast a great Lead Cistern & pipes and to lay the Water into the house & a new frame for ye Cistern". 10 Downing Street, The Story of a House. In addition to the large carpet previously described, the Pillared State Drawing Room also contains a marble-topped table by Kent. Since July 2016 the Prime Minister has been Rt Hon Theresa May MP. [129][104][130] After the Apollo 11 lunar landing in July 1969, Harold Wilson hosted a reception in the room for astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins, in addition to Cambridge scientist Francis Thomas Bacon, inventor of the alkaline fuel cell used to generate power for space capsules. [13], The upper end of the Downing Street cul-de-sac closed off the access to St James's Park, making the street quiet and private. 10 Downing Street, the locale of British prime ministers since 1735, vies with the White House as being the most important political building anywhere in the world in the modern era. We stopped by while listening to our free Rick Steves' audio tour of Westminster on our iPods. Early in the 17th century, the Cockpit was converted to a concert hall and theatre; after the Glorious Revolution of 1688, some of the first cabinet meetings were held there secretly. Rome It is now painted terracotta. In the committee's report there was some discussion of tearing down the building and constructing an entirely new residence but because the prime minister's home had become an icon of British architecture like Windsor Castle, Buckingham Palace and the Houses of Parliament, the committee recommended that Number 10 (and Numbers 11 and 12) should be rebuilt using as much of the original materials as possible. Tweets. There have been barriers erected along both sides of Downing Street since the 1920s. Accessed through the first floor, its vaulted, arched ceiling rises up through the next so that it actually occupies two floors. As a former chemist, she took pleasure in devoting the Small Dining Room to a collection of portraits of British scientists, such as Joseph Priestley and Humphry Davy. The modern boat-shaped top, introduced by Harold Macmillan in the late 1950s, is supported by huge original oak legs. I am bitterly disappointed with what has happened. [157] These redecorations may reflect both individual taste as well as make a political statement. If you are a journalist with a press enquiry or interview request, please email our press office. (See the three state drawing rooms. Many rooms and sections of the new building were reconstructed exactly as they were in the old Number 10. Press Briefing Afternoon 11 June 2012 . [47][48][49][50][51][note 1], Another reason for its unpopularity was that Number 10 was a hazardous place in which to live. "[45], Walpole lived in Number 10 until 1742. Originally estimated at 8,000, the final cost probably exceeded 20,000. Fredrick Robinson, Lord Goderich took a special liking to the house in the late 1820s and spent state funds lavishly remodelling the interior. In 1991, member of the IRA had attacked 10 Downing Street with homemade mortar shells, in hopes of killing or severely injuring Sir John Major, then-Prime Minster of the UK. Even though Count von Bothmer was not British, he was a subject of George I and George II and the first politician and head of a government who resided in 10 Downing Street. From 1997 to 2019 and since 2020, the most senior special adviser post is the Downing Street chief of staff but this job title was out of use from July 2019 to November 2020 when the role was split into two positions with Dominic Cummings[165][166][167] who served as the chief adviser to the prime minister, and Edward Lister[168][169] who served as the chief strategic adviser to the prime minister. During the 1990s John Major converted the first floor anteroom into a small gallery of modern art, mostly British. Also,Wednesdays between 11 and 11:30 a.m. are good since the PM leaves at this time to head to Parliament. These rooms are all in constant usage - Foreign dignitaries are entertained here and the Prime Minister and his government base the majority of their work at Number 10. 10, Downing Street: Official Dining Room, Plate 131: No. 4 stars. 10 Downing Street Bhopal. Lord North, who conducted the war against the American Revolution, lived there happily with his family from 1767 to 1782. John Major announced his 1997 resignation as leader of the Conservative Party in the garden. It is often used as the backdrop for television interviews and is in regular use as a meeting room for Downing Street staff. News stories, speeches, letters and notices, Reports, analysis and official statistics, Data, Freedom of Information releases and corporate reports. [41] The name changes according to the colour it is painted. [39] The cost of conversion is unknown. [132], In the renovation of the 1980s Quinlan Terry introduced large Doric order columns to this room in the door surrounds and designed a very large Palladian overmantel for the fireplace with small double Doric columns on each side with the royal arms above. [71] During World War II, Churchill was photographed many times emerging confidently from Number 10 holding up two fingers in the sign for "Victory". Princess Elizabeth, eldest daughter of King James I, lived there from 1604 until 1613 when she married Frederick V, Elector Palatine and moved to Heidelberg. Earlier, the government had taken over the other Downing Street houses: the Colonial Office occupied Number 14 in 1798; the Foreign Office was at Number 16 and the houses on either side; the West India Department was in Number 18; and the Tithe Commissioners in Number 20. By the turn of the 20th century, photography and the penny press had linked Number 10 in the public mind with the premiership. You have accepted additional cookies. The front door to Number 10 is most likely the most famous feature of the building. [37] This small house and the mansion at the back were then incorporated into Number 10. [21], George Monck, 1st Duke of Albemarle, the general responsible for the Restoration of the Monarchy in 1660, lived there from 1660 until his death in 1671. It was used as the dining room when Robert Walpole was prime minister.