10 Downing Street, London number10.gov.uk Joined March 2008. The deterioration had been obvious for some time. 10 Downing Street. "Under (Prime Minister) Blair . (See Kent's Treasury and No. A few prime ministers, such as Tony Blair, occasionally worked at the Cabinet Room table. [53] Townshend ordered extensive repairs, which were still incomplete eight years later. 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. At the rear is an interior courtyard and a terrace overlooking a .mw-parser-output .frac{white-space:nowrap}.mw-parser-output .frac .num,.mw-parser-output .frac .den{font-size:80%;line-height:0;vertical-align:super}.mw-parser-output .frac .den{vertical-align:sub}.mw-parser-output .sr-only{border:0;clip:rect(0,0,0,0);height:1px;margin:-1px;overflow:hidden;padding:0;position:absolute;width:1px}12 acre (0.2ha) garden. A few peers lived in Number 10 out of necessity. See letter, dated, "Downing Street, 30 June 1742", from. [a] The reorganisation brought about the fusion of the old Prime Minister's Office and other Cabinet Office teams, with a number of units (including the Prime Minister's Strategy Unit) now reporting directly into the Prime Minister's Office. As part of the renovations begun in 1783, it was extended, giving the space its modern appearance. It will take only 2 minutes to fill in. MS. 38292, f. 11) from Lord Liverpool to Charles Ellis, dated 22 January 1823, is of interest. the locked door, symbolically and physically dividing No. This was a formidable undertaking: the three buildings contained over 200 rooms spread out over five floors. "These were useful exchanges. "[86] Erith described the numbers on the front, intended to be based on historical models, as 'a mess' and 'completely wrong' to a fellow historian. Lister served as acting chief of staff, but was replaced by Dan Rosenfield, who officially assumed the role in January 2021. [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. International agreements have been signed in this room. [47][48][49][50][51][note 1], Another reason for its unpopularity was that Number 10 was a hazardous place in which to live. SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA. 10, Downing Street | British History Online", Plate 111: No. [116] It also contains two large bookcases that house the prime minister's library; Cabinet members traditionally donate to the collection on leaving office a tradition that began with Ramsay MacDonald in 1931. Dont worry we wont send you spam or share your email address with anyone. It also houses the Prime Minister's Executive Office, which deals with logistics and diplomacy concerning the government of the United Kingdom. Pt 3: The Dining Room)[140] Although Bothmer complained about "the ruinous Condition of the Premises",[32] he lived there until his death in 1732. Painted off-white with large floor to ceiling windows along one of the long walls, the room is light and airy. Number 10 media team, 10 September 2020 - Uncategorized. Until the late 19th century, Prime Ministers were required to furnish Number 10 at their own expense with furniture, tableware, china, linens, curtains and decorations. 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. Socialising indoors with people. [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. The Cabinet table, purchased during the Gladstone era, dominates the room. "[45], Walpole lived in Number 10 until 1742. He originally intended that the street should be full of fine townhouses designed specifically for persons of good quality to inhabit in. Prague [133], When Frederick Robinson (later Lord Goderich), became Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1823, he decided to leave a personal legacy to the nation. This website uses cookies to improve your browsingexperience and analyze the use of the website. [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. preceding the Great Repair, and 11,000 the Great Repair itself! To preserve the 'traditional' look of recent times, the newly cleaned yellow bricks were painted black to resemble their well-known appearance. [101] Number 10 Downing Street has a lift. Also,Wednesdays between 11 and 11:30 a.m. are good since the PM leaves at this time to head to Parliament. [39] The cost of conversion is unknown. 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. Since 1735, it has been home to the UK's prime ministers. [2] Along with the adjoining Cabinet Office at 70 Whitehall, it is the headquarters of the Government of the . We stopped by while listening to our free Rick Steves' audio tour of Westminster on our iPods. Stanley Baldwin used the Cabinet Room as his office. [56] In 1783 the Duke of Portland moved out because it was once again in need of repair. Having united the structures, Kent gutted and rebuilt the interior. About half belong to the Government Art Collection. SW1A 2AS. [164] It is staffed by a mix of career civil servants and special advisers. The arrangement became the standard practice. We include information such as how to get there, the best times to go, as well as some virtual tours of the famous residence. You can change your cookie settings at any time. Regularly removed for refurbishment and replaced with a replica, it is so heavy that it takes eight men to lift it. [10], Straightforward as the investment seemed, it proved otherwise. 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. Unlimited calls to the US and Canada with additional call minutes to 20 other countries within one bundle. [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. [23], After Buckingham retired in 1676, Lady Charlotte Fitzroy, Charles II's daughter, moved in when she married Edward Lee, 1st Earl of Lichfield. I want them all PLUS general travel tips. [67] Harold Wilson, during his second ministry from 1974 to 1976, lived in his home in Lord North Street because Mary Wilson wanted "a proper home". 7 reviews. Regardless of this fact, a portrait of him still hangs in the entrance foyer of Number 10 Downing Street. Downing Street apologised to Buckingham Palace after details emerged of boozy drinks parties, including one for outgoing communications director James Slack. 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. Dubai Lord North certainly occupied it during the two years he was Chancellor of the Exchequer only. View Company Not the person you were looking for? [61][62] (See Numbers 10, 11, and 12 Downing Street First Floor Plan[63] and Ground Floor Plan. Addl. Scratches on the right arm were caused by their pistols rubbing up against the leather. The House stands in fact upon the same footing as the Houses of the Admiralty, which could not be assigned to any Person not belonging to that office. Churchill called his secretaries the "garden girls" because their offices overlook the garden. Behind its black door have been taken the most important decisions affecting Britain for the last 275 years. The headquarters of His Majesty's Government, it is situated on Downing Street in the City of Westminster in London, England. In 1974, it was suggested that permanent barriers should be erected to prevent the public from walking along the street. [136] Celebrity chefs such as Nigella Lawson have cooked for Prime Ministers' guests using the small kitchen next door. I am bitterly disappointed with what has happened. Free. More extensive changes occur when a new Prime Minister takes office and redecorates. The main section had no visible supports. By the 1800s the houses had nearly all been taken over by the government. You can take bus#11 or ahop-on, hop-off tour bus, both of which pass by frequently. The original door can be seen by the public it is on display in the Churchill Museum at the Cabinet War Rooms. [33], When Count Bothmer died, ownership of the "House at the Back" reverted to the Crown. [158], In addition to outstanding artwork, Number 10 contains many exceptional pieces of furniture either owned by the house or on loan. This arrangement began to change in 1877 when Benjamin Disraeli took up residency. The new warrant issued in 1682 reads: "Sir George Downing [is authorised] to build new and more houses subject to the proviso that it be not built any nearer than 14feet of the wall of the said Park at the West end thereof". [19][20], From that time, the "House at the Back" was usually occupied by members of the royal family or the government. [148])[149], The terrace and garden were constructed in 1736 shortly after Walpole moved into Number 10. Number 10 Downing Street was originally three properties: a mansion overlooking St James's Park called "the House at the Back", a town house behind it and a cottage. (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. A black ironwork fence with spiked newel posts runs along the front of the house and up each side of the step to the door. To them, Number 10 was unimpressive. The Office of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; also known as '10 Downing Street' or 'No 10' . [37] This small house and the mansion at the back were then incorporated into Number 10. In 1924 when Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald took office, he did not own nor have the means to buy an extensive art collection. In 2010, the Camerons completely modernised the 50-year-old private kitchen in Number 11. The contact . Upon Inquiry, however, it appeared that the House was attached to the Treasury as a Part of the Office. The Data Protection Officer provides independent advice and monitoring of Cabinet Office's use of personal information. original source. 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. Jones, see back cover picture credited to Robert Hill @ BBC. . [125], In the restoration conducted in the late 1980s, Quinlan Terry restored the fireplace. "I am heart broken by the result," he said. [125], With its flat unadorned ceiling, simple mouldings and deep window seats, the Small Dining Room is intimate and comfortable. This video below made for the 2012 Olympics, gives you a good look into the public rooms inside 10 Downing Street. He left as soon as it was finished. Suffragettes posed in front of the door when they petitioned H. H. Asquith for women's rights in 1913, a picture that became famous and was circulated around the world. Pt3: The Dining Room", Plate 130: No. [54] While there, Pitt reduced the national debt, formed the Triple Alliance against France and won passage of the Act of Union that created the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. [70] This picture, too, became famous especially in India. 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. The interior wood in the Cabinet Room's double columns was like sawdust. 10, Downing Street: entrance hall and drawing room, Plate 124: No. Only a few are permanent features. Downing planned to build a row of terraced town houses "for persons of good quality to inhabit in"[9] The street on which he built them now bears his name, and the largest became part of Number 10 Downing Street. [41] The name changes according to the colour it is painted. 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. [170] Since Number 10 is formally part of the Cabinet Office, it reports directly to the Cabinet Secretary, who is currently[update] Simon Case. 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. As noted above, you cannot walk on Downing Street as a member of the general public. An Inside Look at 10 Downing Street. Find some more ideas, read our post onwhat to see in Royal London. Situated in Downing Street in the City of Westminster, London, Number 10 is over 300 years old and contains approximately 100 rooms. The fence rises above the step into a double-swirled archway, supporting an iron gas lamp surmounted by a crown. [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 Political Office (party political liaison and constituency affairs). [17], The "House at the Back", the largest of the three houses which were combined to make Number 10, was a mansion built in about 1530 next to Whitehall Palace. By 1857 Downing Street's townhouses were all gone except for Number 10, Number 11 (customarily the Chancellor of the Exchequer's residence), and Number 12 (used as offices for Government Whips). It presently houses the UK Cabinet Room in which Cabinet meetings in the UK take place, chaired by the current Prime Minister, Sunak. Washington DC. 1639 128th Street Surrey, BC . In 1985, Margaret Thatcher said Number 10 had become "one of the most precious jewels in the national heritage". Tubs of flowers line the steps from the terrace; around the walls are rose beds with flowering and evergreen shrubs. [77][81] Macmillan lived in Admiralty House during the reconstruction. The room links through to the Terracotta Room next door. [18], For many years, the "House at the Back" was the home of Thomas Knevett, Keeper of Whitehall Palace, famous for capturing Guy Fawkes in 1605 and foiling his plot to assassinate King James I. [89], The work done by Erith and Terry in the 1960s and 1980s represent the most extensive remodelling of Number 10 in recent times. You have rejected additional cookies. He then surmounted the third storey of the house at the back with a pediment. Role. [162], That same year, the Leisure Circle published Christopher Jones' book No. The front door to Number 10 is most likely the most famous feature of the building. 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. [97][98][99], After the IRA mortar attack in 1991, the original black oak door was replaced by a blast-proof steel one. She said this needed to be addressed as a priority, and Boris Johnson agreed to the Office of the Prime Minister becoming a Government department. Also, take a look at thevirtual tour of 10 Downing Streeton the UK Government's website. $88. [155] (See works from the Government Art Collection currently on display at Number 10[156]), About a dozen paintings are changed annually. In addition to the large carpet previously described, the Pillared State Drawing Room also contains a marble-topped table by Kent. The IRA mortar attack in February 1991 led to extensive work being done to repair the damage (mostly to the garden and exterior walls) and to improve security. 5 stars. [154], Number 10 is filled with fine paintings, sculptures, busts and furniture. 10 Downing Street in London, also known colloquially in the United Kingdom as Number 10, is the official residence and executive office of the first lord of the treasury, usually, by convention, the prime minister of the United Kingdom. . )[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. On these occasions, the table is set with the Silver Trust Silver set given to Downing Street in the 1990s. Downing fought their claim, but failed and had to wait 30 years before he could build. 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. 8,439 talking about this. Berlin ", "QI: Quite interesting facts about 10 Downing Street", Plate 126: No. From 1834 to 1877, it was either vacant or used only for offices and meetings. The staircase had sunk several inches; some steps were buckled and the balustrade was out of alignment.