[61][62] (See Numbers 10, 11, and 12 Downing Street First Floor Plan[63] and Ground Floor Plan. 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. One of the most striking and unusual is the already mentioned Chippendale hooded guard's chair that sits in a corner of the entrance hall. [92], Number 10's door is the product of the renovations Charles Townshend ordered in 1766; it was probably not completed until 1772. 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. [164] It is staffed by a mix of career civil servants and special advisers. Edward Heath borrowed French paintings from the National Gallery and was loaned two Renoirs from a private collector. Executed in the Kentian style, the small Ionic pilasters in the over-mantel are miniature duplicates of the large Ionic pillars in the room. [11] When the Hampden lease expired, Downing received permission to build on land further west to take advantage of more recent property developments. 10, Downing Street: Official Dining Room, Plate 129: No. (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. Mar 19, 2020 We are leading a national effort to fight #coronavirus in the UK and taking the necessary steps based on the best scientific advice. [162], That same year, the Leisure Circle published Christopher Jones' book No. 10 is now on the hunt for an experienced broadcaster to host the daily press conference and be the government's voice . 10, Downing Street: details, Plate 125: No. 6M Followers. Any original materials that were beyond repair such as the pair of double columns in the Cabinet Room would be replicated in detail. [14], Downing did not live in Downing Street. One of the largest rooms was a study measuring forty feet by twenty with enormous windows overlooking St James's Park. You have rejected additional cookies. The Downing Street press office has a staff of about 12, although closer to 40 work in the communications team as a whole. Only a few are permanent features. Plans of 10, 11 and 12 Downing Street (published 1931): This page was last edited on 4 March 2023, at 14:14. Many rooms and sections of the new building were reconstructed exactly as they were in the old Number 10. Within a few years, dry rot was discovered, especially in the main rooms due to inadequate waterproofing and a broken water pipe. [68], For most of his premiership, Tony Blair lived in the more spacious residence above Number 11 to accommodate his relatively large family (a wife and four children). Kent joined the larger houses by building a two-storey structure between them, consisting of one long room on the ground floor and several above. [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. 10 Downing Street, London number10.gov.uk Joined March 2008. Once used when policemen sat on watch outside in the street, it has an unusual "hood" designed to protect them from the wind and cold and a drawer underneath where hot coals were placed to provide warmth. 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. In March 2020, Prime Minister Boris Johnson refurbished the residential apartment at Number 11. John Major announced his 1997 resignation as leader of the Conservative Party in the garden. 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. Measuring 37 feet (11m) long by 28 feet (8.5m) wide, it takes its name from the twin Ionic pilasters with straight pediments at one end. As head of the Great Treasury Commission of 16671672, Albemarle transformed accounting methods and allowed the Crown greater control over expenses. [26], However, there have been numerous times when prime ministers have unofficially lived elsewhere out of necessity or preference. You have rejected additional cookies. [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. Wed like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services. The same restrictions applied when No 10 staff gathered for a "bring your own booze" event in the Downing Street garden. SW1A 2AS. [77][81] Macmillan lived in Admiralty House during the reconstruction. 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. [4], For most of its history, Number 10 was accessible to the public. Clickhere to get exact directions from your point of departure. [133], When Frederick Robinson (later Lord Goderich), became Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1823, he decided to leave a personal legacy to the nation. The huge . Its registered legal title is held in the name of the secretary of state for levelling up, housing and communities (the secretary of state is a corporation sole).[5]. ; 9 Downing Street is the location of the Downing Street Press Briefing Room.It formerly held the offices for previous ministerial departments which have since been dissolved or . Originally estimated at 8,000, the final cost probably exceeded 20,000. 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. 10, Downing Street: plan of alterations in 1781, "Electoral Commission to investigate Boris Johnson's Downing Street flat renovations", "Trump and May to meet for talks in Davos after 'special relationship' tested", 10 Downing Street: The World's Most Famous Front Door, Plate 118: No. 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. Large, shiny, and black and bearing 10 in large brass numbers, the door is most likely one of the most photographed in the world! [133], The White State Drawing room was, until the 1940s, used by Prime Ministers and their partners for their private use. Due to bomb damage in 1940, the Treasury relocated to the Government Offices Great George Street. Most lent it to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, others to lesser officials or to friends and relatives. Three brass chandeliers hang from the high ceiling. [34], Walpole did not accept the gift for himself. [97][98][99], After the IRA mortar attack in 1991, the original black oak door was replaced by a blast-proof steel one. The Data Protection Officer provides independent advice and monitoring of Cabinet Office's use of personal information. The Crown authorised extensive rebuilding which included adding a storey, thus giving it three main floors, an attic and basement. You can change your cookie settings at any time. Walpole would live there as the incumbent First Lord, but would vacate it for the next one. The upper floors were modernised and the third floor extended over Numbers 11 and 12 to allow more living space. [154], Number 10 is filled with fine paintings, sculptures, busts and furniture. Dont include personal or financial information like your National Insurance number or credit card details. 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. It was here that Edward Heath kept his grand piano. The deterioration had been obvious for some time. [90], To accommodate their large families, both Tony Blair and David Cameron chose to live in the private residence above Number 11 rather than the smaller one above Number 10. In 1787 Number 5 became "Number 10". Larry the Cat (@Number10cat) February 15, 2023 Larry's enduring presence at No. It will take only 2 minutes to fill in. In addition to the large carpet previously described, the Pillared State Drawing Room also contains a marble-topped table by Kent. Pt3: The Dining Room", Plate 130: No. Albemarle is the first treasury minister to have lived in what became the home of the First Lord of the Treasury and Prime Minister. As part of the renovations begun in 1783, it was extended, giving the space its modern appearance. [2] Along with the adjoining Cabinet Office at 70 Whitehall, it is the headquarters of the Government of the . 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. Carved into the plasterwork above the door leading to the Pillared Room is a tribute to Margaret Thatcher: a straw-carrying 'thatcher'. 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. . The brass letterbox still bears the legend "First Lord of the Treasury". . Greater transparency across government is at the heart of our commitment to let you hold politicians and public bodies to account. Regardless of this fact, a portrait of him still hangs in the entrance foyer of Number 10 Downing Street. We will be stepping up capacity of testing to 25,000 people in hospitals a day. 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. Read our post which compares these city passes to see if any are a good fit for you. 10, Downing Street, circa 1754. This arrangement remained in effect until the middle of the 19th century and until then all Prime Ministers who were also Chancellor took advantage of it. The modern boat-shaped top, introduced by Harold Macmillan in the late 1950s, is supported by huge original oak legs. [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. Behind its black door have been taken the most important decisions affecting Britain for the last 275 years. 2371. (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. Situated in Downing Street in the City of Westminster, London, Number 10 is over 300 years old and contains approximately 100 rooms. This video below made for the 2012 Olympics, gives you a good look into the public rooms inside 10 Downing Street. The Windsor Framework, agreed by the Prime Minister and European Commission President, replaces the old Northern Ireland Protocol, providing a new legal and UK constitutional framework. A few prime ministers, such as Tony Blair, occasionally worked at the Cabinet Room table. 8/29/2013. Media. 10 Political Office (party political liaison and constituency affairs). in the No 10 press office area to say goodbye to a special adviser . [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. 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. 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. It became unsafe and frequently required repairs. The Modern Cabinet Room: Two photographs taken by Prime Minister. [71] During World War II, Churchill was photographed many times emerging confidently from Number 10 holding up two fingers in the sign for "Victory". Get Directions. 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. 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. [14] The cul-de-sac had several distinguished residents: George Granville, 1st Baron Lansdowne from 1692 to 1696 and the Earl of Grantham from 1699 to 1703. 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. Prime ministers come and go, but one resident of 10 Downing Street has no plans to leave any time soon. Audio histories about Number 10 Downing Street, the office of the official residence of the UK Prime Minister
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