Theresa May departs a cabinet meeting in 10 Downing Street days before becoming prime minister. After the considerable damage sustained by the residence during World War II, a complete demolition was considered but ultimately rejected in favor of a massive renovation during the s.
Finding the original bright yellow color too jarring, workers ultimately replicated the dark exterior with a coat of black paint. Larry, the Downing Street cat, gets in the royal wedding spirit in a Union flag bow-tie before the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
As May assumes power, she will not actually be given the keys to 10 Downing Street. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! This blog series focuses on the reconstruction of No. This is the fourth and final entry in a series of blog posts on the topic. This fourth and final part investigates the reconstruction of No.
In July , Prime Minister Harold Macmillan appointed the independent Crawford Committee to investigate and recommend a course of action for dealing with the deteriorating buildings at Nos. It reported less than a year later, recommending that the existing structures be substantially rebuilt, with the Prime Minister temporarily rehoused in the interim.
The Cabinet endorsed this course of action in May , and the architect Raymond Erith was chosen to oversee this major project. Despite the rush, the Prime Minister was eager to return to the iconic No. It soon became clear that the houses at Downing Street were in a much worse condition than had first been indicated. Many were also suffering from insect damage. Wartime strengthening work on several of No. Ultimately, more than half of the existing fabric of the building had to be renewed, with the foundations substantially underpinned, the main brick walls grouted or reconstructed entirely, all roofs and most floors replaced, and modern services installed, alongside the planned structural alterations designed to expand and improve No.
As early as April , it had become clear that the original anticipated completion date for the Downing Street houses had already become unachievable. A letter from Mowlem to architect Raymond Erith struck a pessimistic tone:. We have felt rather concerned during the last few months about the many problems arising on the work at Nos.
We think you will agree that as the pulling down has proceeded, it has been found that far more complete restoration work will be necessary than may have been envisaged before work started, owing to the state of the existing buildings. The letter also cited the high quality of the services, decorations and details demanded by the building — and by Erith himself — as an additional cause for delay.
It is perhaps appropriate that work on such an historic British building was disrupted by a dispute over cups of tea. Tools were downed at Downing Street on 2 nd October , alongside a number of sites across London, in response to a new Working Rule, which saw weekly working hours reduced, but with the caveat that tea breaks would no longer be paid. The strike began unofficially, but was declared official on 4 th October by the Amalgamated Union of Painters and Decorators.
Prevented from getting into Downing Street itself by the gates installed less than two years previously, they fired their three mortar bombs from a transit van parked out on Whitehall. Unlike most of his predecessors, MacDonald had no luxury country home on which to call, and the provisions of his modest house were nowhere near sufficient. Ishbel was sent to the January sales to stock up, and would later recall having to help her father by funding more items from a small personal inheritance.
It was not so in the early s. The surrounding area was becoming seedier every year, too — by there were brothels and gin parlours within the vicinity. Plans to demolish the entire north-side terrace were seriously considered, but numbers 10, 11 and 12 survived. It has never been a requirement for the prime minister to live at Downing Street. Many Georgian and Victorian premiers — including Lord Melbourne, Sir Robert Peel and Viscount Palmerston — preferred to remain in their own London townhouses, using No 10 as an office, or allowing their chancellors to move in.
Of the 31 men in office between and , only 16 resided there. Mrs Hampden was still living there when King Charles II reigned in Scotland from to was restored to the English throne in The Parliamentary Commissioners, who took over Crown lands during the time of the Commonwealth, described the house in Built part of Bricke and part with Tymber and Flemish qalle and covered with Tyle, consistinge of a Large and spacious hall, wainscoted round, well lighted, and Paved with brick Pavements, two parls wherof one is Wainscoted round from the seelinge to ye floor, one Buttery, one seller, one Large kitchen well paved with stone and well fitted and Joynted and well fitted with dresser boards.
And above stayres in the first story one large and spacious dyneinge Roome, Wainscoted round from the seelinge to the floore, well flored, Lighted and seeled, and fitted with a faire Chimney with a foote pace of paynted Tyle in the same. Also 6 more Roomes and 3 Closetts in the same flore all well lighted and seeled. And in the second story 4 garretts…. George Downing gave his name to the most famous street in the world. It is unfortunate that he was such an unpleasant man.
Able as a diplomat and a government administrator, he was miserly and at times brutal. However, George Downing was responsible for the street, its name and the building we know today.
A former diplomat at The Hague serving the Commonwealth, he changed allegiance with finesse. He traded enough secrets to gain a royal pardon in March and, by the Restoration in May , to be rewarded with a knighthood. Interested in power and money, he saw an opportunity to make his fortune in property. He had already gained the Crown interest in the land around Hampden House, but could not take possession as it was under lease to Knyvet's descendants.
In he secured the leases to the property and employed Sir Christopher Wren to design the houses. Between and , existing properties were pulled down and in their place a cul-de-sac of 15 to 20 terraced houses was built along the north side of the new street, Downing Street. In order to maximise profit, the houses were cheaply built, with poor foundations for the boggy ground. A rather important neighbour complained, however. The new houses were built directly behind a large and impressive house overlooking Horse Guards.
Its occupier, the Countess of Lichfield, daughter of Charles II, was less than pleased with the emergence of the unwelcome terrace behind. She complained to her father, who wrote back with advice:. I think that it is a very reasonable thing that other houses should not look into your house without your permission, and this note will be sufficient for Mr Surveyor to build up your wall as high as you please. The original numbering of the Downing Street houses was completely different from what we see today.
The sequence of numbers was haphazard, and the houses tended to be known by the name or title of their occupants. The current Number 10 started out life as Number 5, and was not renumbered until The Downing Street house had several distinguished residents. The Countess of Yarmouth lived at Number 10 between and , and was followed by Lord Lansdowne from to and the Earl of Grantham from to The last private resident of Downing's terrace was one Mr Chicken.
Little is known about him except that he moved out in the early s. Walpole refused the property as a personal gift. Instead, he asked the king to make it available as an official residence to him and to future First Lords of the Treasury — starting the tradition that continues today. The brass letterbox on the black front door is still engraved with this title. Walpole took up residence on 22 September , once the townhouse on Downing Street and the house overlooking Horse Guards had been joined together and completely refurbished.
Walpole employed architect William Kent — who had already worked on Walpole's Norfolk home, Houghton Hall — to undertake the work. Kent carried out extensive work on the 2 houses, connecting them on 2 storeys. The main entrance now faced onto Downing Street rather than towards Horse Guards, and the Downing Street building became a passageway to the main house.
At the back of the house, where the Walpoles lived, Kent created grand new rooms suitable for receiving important guests, and built an unusual, 3-sided staircase. It is still one of the most impressive features of the building. Walpole used the ground floor for business, taking the largest room, on the north-west side of the house, as his study. This is now the Cabinet Room. Upstairs on the first floor, the Walpoles lived in the rooms facing onto Horse Guards Parade. Lady Walpole used today's White Drawing Room as her sitting room, and the present day Terracotta Room served as their dining room.
The Walpoles were soon entertaining important guests in their smart house, including George II's wife Queen Caroline, politicians, writers and soldiers. Number 10 became — as it continues to be today — a place for politics and entertainment. His successors saw the house as a perk of the job, and Prime Ministers Henry Pelham to and the Duke of Newcastle to preferred to live in their own residences.
He was very fond of the house and often entertained there. Visitors included the writer Samuel Johnson and Thomas Hansard, founder of the parliamentary reporting system that is still in use today. One guest, Clive of India, was so popular that furniture was made for him, which is still present today in the first floor anteroom and Terracotta Room.
During one memorable dinner party held by Lord North on 7 June , civil unrest broke out in the street outside when angry Protestants unhappy with North's policy towards Roman Catholics rioted all over London, in what became known as the Gordon Riots. The Grenadier Guards held off a large mob, a situation that might have ended with bloodshed had North not gone outside to warn the protestors of the dangers of being shot, following which the crowd dispersed.
North's dinner guests climbed to the top of the house to view the fires burning all over London. Major improvements were made to the house during North's time, including the addition of many distinctive features: the black and white chequerboard floor in the entrance hall, the lamp above the front door and the famous lion's head door knocker. Following the loss of the American colonies, North resigned and was followed by the Duke of Portland, who was Prime Minister for only 9 months in At the turn of the 19th century, Downing Street had fallen on hard times.
Although Number 10 continued to serve as the Prime Minister's office, it was not favoured as a home. Most prime ministers preferred to live in their own townhouses. But by the s, Downing Street had emerged as the centre of government. Prime Minister Viscount Goderich employed the brilliant, quirky architect Sir John Soane, designer of the Bank of England , to make the house more suitable for its high-profile role.
But this wasn't good enough for his successor, Lord Wellington, who only moved in while his own lavish home, Apsley House , was being refurbished. Later leaders such as Lord Melbourne and Viscount Palmerston used Number 10 only as an office and for Cabinet meetings. In , Number 11 became the Chancellor of the Exchequer's official residence, but the surrounding area was becoming seedier, with brothels and gin parlours multiplying.
Things became so bad that by there were plans to demolish Number 10 and the other buildings on the north side of Downing Street to make way for a remodelled Whitehall. Security also became an issue.
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