With all of the drama emerging from No.10 over the last few weeks, we’ve all seen the sight of that famous black door open and close a lot more regularly than we perhaps expected to. Arguably one of the most important recognisable buildings in the UK, and during the British Empire, No.10 has not always looked the way that it does now. As the home of Prime Ministers since 1735 the evolution of the building of No.10 itself has changed dramatically and been the recipient of many intrigues and dangers. Here’s everything you need to know about the construction of No.10 and how it’s evolved across time.
Origins
Whilst the first house on Downing Street was not constructed until 1581 by Sir Thomas Knyvet, the area where Downing Street is located first was used as a centre of government by Edward the Confessor after constructing Westminster Abbey. Sir Thomas was famous for being knighted in 1604 after arresting Guy Fawkes and was granted the lease to the lands there. Before this, London was an important political centre through the Roman, Anglo Saxon and Norman eras. Canute, one of the last Viking kings, constructed a palace in the area. The earliest building however was the axe brewery, owned by the abbey of Abingdon. Perhaps the location became more prominent however under Henry VIII when he confiscated York House from Cardinal Wolsey and redeveloped this into Whitehall Palace, whereby Downing Street is on the edge of its boundaries.
Following Sir Thomas, Downing street passed to Elizabeth Hampden who resided there for the next 40 years and notably was the aunt of Oliver Cromwell, the Lord Protector and could hear the execution of Charles I from her home. The lease remained in the family until George Downing, who the street is now named after, took it over in 1682 and over the next two years demolished all of the buildings to create a cul de sac of 15-20 houses, the number of which has changed over time. However, Downing Street still did not exist as a centre of political power until it was offered as a gift to the first Lord of the Treasury, Robert Walpole. He declined the offer, and instead asked for it to be the official residence of all future lords of the treasury, which in time became better known as the Prime Minister.
Early construction
The first known description of how Downing Street looked was recorded in 1650 by Parliamentary commissioners following the events of the English Civil War when it belonged to Elizabeth Hampden. Transcribed from old English, it reads:
“Built of brick and timber and flemish qalle. It consisted of a large and spacious hall, well lighted with brick pavements with two floors. It had two storeys, a cellar, a buttery and a large kitchen paved with stone. Upstairs hosted a spacious dining room, a chimney with painted tiles, with 6 rooms and 3 closets on the first floor. There were four garrets (habitable attics or living spaces) on the second floor.”
From then the next record of Downing Street came during the time of George Downing. The first houses were built for cheapness, with poor foundations considering the boggy ground. Neat brick facades were passed over in favour of mortar lines to give the appearance of evenly spaced bricks. Behind the cul de sac sat the Horse Guards house, owned by the Countess of Lichfield who saw the cul de sac as an eyesore and constructed a large wall on the advice of her father. However the Horse Guards house would later become a part of what is known today as No.10 Downing Street when George II offered both the townhouse on Downing Street and the Horse Guards house to Robert Walpole. This was then refurbished, and connected the town house across two storeys, turning the main entrance to face onto Downing Street itself. No.10 then became a passageway to the Horse Guards house. Walpole commissioned the famous architect William Kent who oversaw this, also building grand new rooms with a 3 sided staircase which remains one of the most notable features. The cabinet room we know today from press conferences was initially his study, and he constructed the terracotta room which was his dining room.
Renovations over time
Today it is customary for a Prime Minister to redecorate according to his or her wishes, but some Prime Ministers made some intriguing changes which are now historical features. Each has made their own mark too! For instance, North, who was the next Prime Minister to actually occupy No.10 added the black and white chequerboard floor, the lamp above the door and the lion’s head door knocker. Inbetween the two Prime Ministers, and for several periods up until the 1820’s Downing Street was not occupied which has led to long lasting damaging effects which are still felt today. Other large home improvements include the wood panelled state dining room and the creation of a dining room for elegant eating under PM Viscount Goderich.
There have also been a number of internal and external factors which nearly led to Downing Street being demolished. In the 17th century, the establishment of brothels and taverns close there meant Downing Street was being considered to be demolished in favour of remodelling Whitehall Palace. Edward Drummond was assassinated just outside which prompted security concerns and potential demolition after being mistaken for Robert Peel. In 1860 after the Foreign Office was constructed on the other side of the street, its relevance was questioned given the grandeur of the new foreign office which had its own cabinet room.
Attachment to its historic features prevailed, and the late 19th to 20th century saw a huge period of modernisation for No.10. It was remodelled, renovating the entrance halls and public rooms. Disraeli managed to secure state funding to achieve this and personally refurbished his living quarters after 30 years of no habitation. This was the first time a bath with hot and cold water was installed. In 1884 William Gladstone installed the first electric lighting and telephones. MacDonald installed the first library. Central heating was installed in 1937, and the labyrinth of rooms was converted into an upstairs flat for the sitting Prime Minister.
During WW2, bombing raids resulted in huge damage which saw Churchill temporarily relocate and plans to repair this were skipped over until MacMillan arranged for a committee. They recommended the demolition of No 10, 11 and 12 with a brand new building to replace these historic offices of Prime Minister and Chancellor. No.12 which today also belongs to the sitting Prime Minister was actually demolished and reconstructed, but the Prime Minister has to pass through No.11 to reach it. During this time, the familiar exterior facade long thought to be black transpired to be yellow, but appeared this was due to pollution and was cleaned to reveal the yellow facade underneath. This was completed in 1963 but was far from the end of needed repairs. Under Thatcher, the white drawing room and terracotta room were given their first ornate plaster ceilings, complete with the national emblems of the four countries of the UK.
All of this was nearly for nothing, as in 1991 an IRA mortar bomb was fired from the direction of Whitehall in a van which exploded in the garden of number 10. This left a crater in the garden and shattered the windows of neighbouring houses. By 2006 it was clear from independent surveys that the building was not weather tight, the heating system was failing and the ICT network was at its capacity. Following frequent power outages and water leaks Blair authorised a new round of works in 2006, also addressing the failing lead guttering and cracking brickwork.
Downing Street today
Recently renovated under Boris Johnson, No.10 continues to be one of the most preeminent historic buildings in the UK and the world. Much larger than it appears to the outside, we hope this shows you the scale of how truly large No.10 downing street is. If any of the features of No.10 appeal to your own home improvements or renovation plans and your local to our catchment area of Keighley, Skipton, Bingley or Ilkley please contact us with your requirements today by either calling us on 01535 653 530 of filling out our online contact form!