10, Downing Street | British History Online", Plate 111: No. [65] The flat became known as the No.10 Annexe, and lay above the much more comprehensive underground bunker now known as the Cabinet War Rooms, and where he also had a bedroom, very rarely used. 10, Downing Street: details, Plate 125: No. Due to bomb damage in 1940, the Treasury relocated to the Government Offices Great George Street. View Company Not the person you were looking for? 10 Downing Street, known in the UK as "Number 10", is the headquarters of Her Majesty's Government and the official residence and office of the First Lord of the Treasury. [38], The rebuilding took three years. [24], The "House at the Back" reverted to the Crown when Lady Overkirk died in 1720. In addition to the large carpet previously described, the Pillared State Drawing Room also contains a marble-topped table by Kent. The Duke of Wellington, for example, grudgingly lived there for eighteen months between 1828 and 1830 because his own home, Apsley House, was undergoing extensive renovations. As noted above, you cannot walk on Downing Street as a member of the general public. As head of the Great Treasury Commission of 16671672, Albemarle transformed accounting methods and allowed the Crown greater control over expenses. [53] Townshend ordered extensive repairs, which were still incomplete eight years later. If you are not a member of the media, please use the public correspondence contact form. Larry the Cat (@Number10cat) February 15, 2023 Larry's enduring presence at No. [155] (See works from the Government Art Collection currently on display at Number 10[156]), About a dozen paintings are changed annually. Since 2005, Number 10's Direct Communication Unit has not used its staff's real names on signed correspondence to MPs and members of the public; this is for security reasons. On 23 September 1735, the London Daily Post announced that: "Yesterday the Right Hon. One of the largest rooms was a study measuring forty feet by twenty with enormous windows overlooking St James's Park. In March 2020, Prime Minister Boris Johnson refurbished the residential apartment at Number 11. Phone number (604) 536-3353. [161] Also in attendance were Elizabeth II and representatives of the families of every 20th-century Prime Minister since H. H. Asquith, including Lady Olwen Carey Evans (daughter of David Lloyd George), Lady Leonora Howard (daughter of Stanley Baldwin), and Clarissa Avon (widow of Anthony Eden and niece of Winston Churchill). News stories, speeches, letters and notices, Reports, analysis and official statistics, Data, Freedom of Information releases and corporate reports. As many as 40 coats of paint were stripped from the elaborate cornices in the main rooms revealing details unseen for almost 200 years in some cases. 10, Downing Street: detail of iron balustrading to main staircase, "YouTube Simon Schama's Tour of Downing Street. [23], After Buckingham retired in 1676, Lady Charlotte Fitzroy, Charles II's daughter, moved in when she married Edward Lee, 1st Earl of Lichfield. [94] (See The Entrance Door c1930: As seen from the outside)[95][96] The door cannot be opened from the outside; there is always someone inside to unlock the door. The previous year, Knevett had moved into a house next door, approximately where Number 10 is today. 10 Downing, check out our guided Westminster Tourand ourLondon in a Day Tour, which both stop at Downing Street. The Green State Drawing Room contains mostly Chippendale furniture including a card table that belonged to Clive of India and a mahogany desk that is thought to have belonged to William Pitt the Younger and used by him during the Napoleonic Wars. Any original materials that were beyond repair such as the pair of double columns in the Cabinet Room would be replicated in detail. I believe Mr. Charles Townshend occupied it, but I know Mr. Dowdeswell did, & it is remarkable that he is, I believe, the only instance of a Chancellor of the Exchequer upon Record who was not in the Cabinet. History of the "House at the Back" before 1733, First politician and "head of government" in the house, 10 Downing Street and Kent's Treasury Building, Current positions within the Office of the Prime Minister. But, there are a few ways that you can see what the inside looks like, and also potentially glimpse the PM or cabinet members coming or going. The town house, from which the modern building gets its name, was one of several built by George Downing between 1682 and 1684. 2 stars. As part of the renovations begun in 1783, it was extended, giving the space its modern appearance. Emails can be sent to the Prime Ministers Office using the link above. We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services. So much has this extraordinary edifice cost the country For one moiety of the sum a much better dwelling might have been purchased! "The whole project has been a frightful waste of money because it just has not been done properly. Dont worry we wont send you spam or share your email address with anyone. Pt4: The Staircase[111]), In Kent's design for the enlarged Number 10, the Cabinet Room was a simple rectangular space with enormous windows. An Inside Look at 10 Downing Street. See below for some tips on how to get the best view of the street and door. We covered all issues in some detail, including the most difficult ones. 10 Downing Street? The No. Check benefits and financial support you can get, Find out about the Energy Bills Support Scheme, Windsor Framework unveiled to fix problems of the Northern Ireland Protocol, PM speech on the Windsor Framework: February 2023, Exclusive interviews with former cabinet secretaries, Listen to Number 10 staff talk about their work, Prime Minister's and Cabinet Office ministers' transparency publications, PM statement to the House of Commons: 27 Feb 2023. Should you want to visit this historic street to get a glimpse of the iconic black door of No. Bolitho, p. 116. Behind its black door have been taken the most important decisions affecting Britain for the last 275 years. Earls, Lords, and Countesses quickly moved into the prime real estate built here although it seems unlikely that Sir Downing himself ever actually resided on the street that holds his name. Philadelphia A ministerial department , also called Number 10. The Modern Cabinet Room: Two photographs taken by Prime Minister. [137][138][139] (See Simon Schama's Tour of Downing Street. [46], Downing Street declined at the turn of the 19th century, becoming surrounded with run-down buildings, dark alleys, the scene of crime and prostitution. [47][48][49][50][51][note 1], Another reason for its unpopularity was that Number 10 was a hazardous place in which to live. The other floors contain offices and conference, reception, sitting and dining rooms where the prime minister works, and where government ministers, national leaders and foreign dignitaries are met and hosted. 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. [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. [122], Number 10 has three inter-linked state drawing rooms: the Pillared Drawing Room, the Terracotta Drawing Room and the White Drawing Room. . This video below made for the 2012 Olympics, gives you a good look into the public rooms inside 10 Downing Street. Media. When building these houses, Downing was assisted by master architect Sir Christopher Wren, who designed the buildings. You have rejected additional cookies. British History Online, Letter (B.M. 4) What guidance is issued to the Downing Street Press Office, please provide documents, etc? The contact . [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. [4], 10 Downing Street is Government property. 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. 10 from the Cabinet Office, was passed through with such frequency that its meaning was lost. If he declines it, the Chancellor of the Exchequer occupies it, not as Chancellor of the Exchequer, but as second in the Commission of the Treasury. Press office: responsible for relations with the media, Research and information unit: provides factual information to No. No longer "fitted with variety Walle fruit and diverse fruit trees" as it was in the 17th century, there is now a centrally located flower bed around a holly tree surrounded by seats. Jones, p. 52. Costly to maintain, neglected, and run-down, Number 10 was scheduled to be demolished several times, but the property survived and became linked with many statesmen and events in British history. The main section had no visible supports. 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. Originally, the door was made of Georgian black oak; it is today made of blast-proof steel and takes a reported eight men to lift it. 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. 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. That the First Lord of the Treasury occupies it if he thinks proper. MS. 38292, f. 11) from Lord Liverpool to Charles Ellis, dated 22 January 1823, is of interest. . List of current civil service and senior special adviser positions serving Prime Minister Rishi Sunak: The office was reorganised in 2001 into three directorates: Changes were intended to strengthen the PM's office. 10 Downing Street Bhopal. It became unsafe and frequently required repairs. 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. Also, take a look at thevirtual tour of 10 Downing Streeton the UK Government's website. 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. Regularly removed for refurbishment and replaced with a replica, it is so heavy that it takes eight men to lift it. Get Niall Patrick's email address (n*****@number10.gov.uk) and phone number at RocketReach. The highest ranking civil servant position is the principal private secretary to the prime minister, currently[update] Elizabeth Perelman. [94] (See The Entrance Door c1930: As seen from inside showing the black and white marble floor and the door providing access to Number 11)[103][104], When William Kent rebuilt the interior between 1732 and 1734, his craftsmen created a stone triple staircase. in the No 10 press office area to say goodbye to a special adviser . To find more go to "More details" about the price bundles. The remaining interior space was converted into a courtyard. Hendrick Danckerts' painting "The Palace of Whitehall" (shown at the beginning of this article) usually hangs in the ante-room. There were also delays when archaeological excavations uncovered important artefacts dating from Roman, Saxon and medieval times. You can also try our GPS-enabled anytime audio tourwhich includes a stop at Downing Street. The room links through to the Terracotta Room next door. Painted in white, between the top and middle sets of panels, is the number "10". Pt4: The Staircase", "Plate 121: No. He complained openly during and after the project that the government had altered his design to save money. Steel was hidden inside the columns in the Pillared Drawing Room to support the floor above. "[57] (See Plan of the Design for Number 10 c1781. In 1787 Number 5 became "Number 10". This was the pattern until the beginning of the 20th century. Since 1990 when the Terry reconstruction was completed, repairing, redecorating, remodelling, and updating the house has been ongoing as needed. We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services. He originally intended that the street should be full of fine townhouses designed specifically for persons of good quality to inhabit in. Protective Packaging Ltd. 2118 Jolicoeur Rue . Lisbon 137 reviews #20 of 454 Restaurants in Bhopal - Indian Bar International. [43], The same document confirmed that Number 10 Downing Street was: "meant to be annexed & united to the Office of his Majesty's Treasury & to be & to remain for the Use & Habitation of the first Commissioner of his Majesty's Treasury for the time being". Grace. 10, Downing Street: Official Dining Room, Plate 129: No. (1) To get a quick photo-op of 10 Downing Street, you can take the #11 bus, and sit on the top deck of the doubledecker. That if he declined it, it would go to the next in the Commission, or it might possibly be disposed of by the Board to any Member or Officer of the Treasury; but could not, & never has been detached from it. Kent's staircase is the first architectural feature visitors see as they enter Number 10. The building also hosts foreign dignitaries, national leaders, and government ministers. The introduction of films and television would strengthen this association. The First Lord's new, albeit temporary, home had sixty rooms, with hardwood and marble floors, crown moulding, elegant pillars and marble mantelpieces; those on the west side with views of St James's Park. [121] The only picture in the room is a copy of a portrait of Robert Walpole by Jean-Baptiste van Loo hanging over the fireplace. Originally estimated at 8,000, the final cost probably exceeded 20,000. [19][20], From that time, the "House at the Back" was usually occupied by members of the royal family or the government. The leaders reflected on the current state of Russia's. preceding the Great Repair, and 11,000 the Great Repair itself! Balfour revived the custom that Number 10 is the First Lord and Prime Minister's official residence. The terrace, extending across the back, provides a full view of St James's Park. [74], By the middle of the 20th century, Number 10 was falling apart again. To celebrate, Thatcher hosted a grand dinner in the State Dining Room for her living predecessors: Harold Macmillan, Alec Douglas-Home, Harold Wilson, Edward Heath and James Callaghan. [172] Several changes in staffing took place early in February 2022. The office helps the Prime Minister to establish and deliver the governments overall strategy and policy priorities, and to communicate the governments policies to Parliament, the public and international audiences. SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA. Since the door had no keyhole, the inside officer depended upon the lone outside officer. "Johnson promises No 10 shake-up after Gray finds failures", "No10 team bolstered to deliver the people's priorities", "No 10 admits using false names on letters to the public", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=10_Downing_Street&oldid=1142811850, Downing Street Permanent Secretary and Chief Operating Officer, Downing Street Director of Legislative Affairs. We use some essential cookies to make this website work. Asked if there is a record of the calls placed through the Number 10 switchboard, the PMS said that she did not know but would check whether all calls are noted and go back to the journalist. Larry the cat, whose officialtitle is Chief Mouser, has been living at 10 Downing Street since February 2011. Downing's portrait hangs in the entrance hall of Number 10. This video below made for the 2012 Olympics, gives you a good look into the public rooms inside 10 Downing Street. The State Dining Room contains a mahogany sideboard by Adam. We will be stepping up capacity of testing to 25,000 people in hospitals a day. [84][85], Although the reconstruction was generally considered an architectural triumph, Erith was disappointed. Executed in the Kentian style, the small Ionic pilasters in the over-mantel are miniature duplicates of the large Ionic pillars in the room. [136] Celebrity chefs such as Nigella Lawson have cooked for Prime Ministers' guests using the small kitchen next door. The work of a slave of the holy place, Maqsud of Kashan in the year 926" (the Islamic year corresponding to 1520). Although large, they were put up quickly and cheaply on soft soil with shallow foundations. It also houses the Prime Minister's Executive Office, which deals with logistics and diplomacy concerning the government of the United Kingdom. 10 Downing Street 5.3K views4 months ago CC Leaders Visit 10 Downing Street Play all President Duda of Poland visits Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at Downing Street 10 Downing. Addl. Edward Heath borrowed French paintings from the National Gallery and was loaned two Renoirs from a private collector. [27] Like Downing Street, it rested on a shallow foundation, a design error that caused problems until 1960 when the modern Number 10 was rebuilt on deep pilings. Lord North, who conducted the war against the American Revolution, lived there happily with his family from 1767 to 1782. Free. Culture: Bent, 286] The Cabinet Office press office only deals with enquiries from the media. They are rearranged slightly to make room for a photograph of each new Prime Minister. The result was a spacious mansion, lying parallel to Whitehall Palace with a view of St James Park from its garden. In 1924 when Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald took office, he did not own nor have the means to buy an extensive art collection. Plans of 10, 11 and 12 Downing Street (published 1931): This page was last edited on 4 March 2023, at 14:14. Fredrick Robinson, Lord Goderich took a special liking to the house in the late 1820s and spent state funds lavishly remodelling the interior. The garden is dominated by a half-acre (0.2 ha) open lawn which wraps around Numbers 10 and 11 in an L-shape. Well send you a link to a feedback form. Robert Taylor, the architect who executed this concept, was knighted on its completion. Begun in 1825 and completed in 1826 at a cost of 2,000, the result is a spacious room with oak panelling and reeded mouldings. To them, Number 10 was unimpressive. Amsterdam Carved into the plasterwork above the door leading to the Pillared Room is a tribute to Margaret Thatcher: a straw-carrying 'thatcher'. 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. To build it, Soane removed the chimney from the kitchen to put a door in the room. Nashville [3] Walpole accepted on the condition that the gift was to the office of First Lord of the Treasury. If you are a journalist with a press enquiry or interview request, please email our press office. 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. Although Bothmer complained about "the ruinous Condition of the Premises",[32] he lived there until his death in 1732. His architect's letter to the Treasury stated: "we have caused the House in Downing Street belonging to the Treasury to be surveyed, & find the Walls of the old part of the said House next the street to be much decayed, the Floors & Chimneys much sunk from the level". Read our post which compares these city passes to see if any are a good fit for you. By the 1800s the houses had nearly all been taken over by the government. However, some commentators have suggested that Blair's reforms have created something similar to a Prime Minister's Department. )[26][55], Treasury officials complained that the building was costing too much to maintain; some suggested that it should be razed and a new house constructed on the site or elsewhere. 10 Downing Street | 22,408 followers on LinkedIn. 8,439 talking about this. Lord North certainly occupied it during the two years he was Chancellor of the Exchequer only. [77], The architect Raymond Erith carried out the design for this painstaking work[78] and the contractor that undertook it was John Mowlem & Co.[79]The Times reported initially that the cost for the project would be 400,000.