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A Tour Inside 10 Downing Street

This post covers tours of 10 Downing Street.

We include information such as how to get there, the best times to go, as well as some virtual tours of the famous residence.

• Introduction
• Plan Your Visit
• Tours of 10 Downing Street
• Buckingham Palace
• Things to Do in London

INTRODUCTION

Number 10 Downing Street is one of the most famous addresses in the world. Since 1735, it has been home to the UK's prime ministers.

Although it’s hard to get a good look at the street due to security, Downing Street still remains as one of the most visited sites in our capital city. 

Should you want to visit this historic street to get a glimpse of the iconic black door of No. 10 Downing, check out our guided Westminster Tour  and our  London in a Day Tour , which both stop at Downing Street.

You can also try our GPS-enabled anytime audio tour  which includes a stop at Downing Street.

PLAN YOUR VISIT

How to Get Here

10 Downing Street is located in the City of Westminster, just a short walk away from the Palace of Westminster and Parliament, Big Ben, and Westminster Abbey .  

Click  here to get exact directions from your point of departure. 

To reach 10 Downing Street by tube, it's best to reach it by either the Westminster or Charing Cross Station.  

If you need help figuring out which tube to take, make sure to read our posts covering the London Underground and which tube pass you should buy .

You can take bus #11 or a  hop-on, hop-off tour bus , both of which pass by frequently.

You can also reach it by boat with City Cruises from the Westminster City Pier which is very nearby.

For obvious safety reasons, the public is not allowed to walk on Downing Street, let alone go into the residence of the Prime Minister (PM).

There have been barriers erected along both sides of Downing Street since the 1920s. 

In 1974, it was suggested that permanent barriers should be erected to prevent the public from walking along the street.

However, the Prime Minister at the time, Harold Wilson, overturned the idea.

He felt that it was not right that the public should be prevented from walking down the street and taking photographs outside Number 10.

That has changed, and now security is very tight, as one would expect for the home of a country's head of government.

Today, the closest visitors can get is standing on the edge of the street to peer through the permanent black metal gates. 

See below for some tips on how to get the best view of the street and door .

Things to Do Nearby

There are plenty of other significant London sites within walking distance of Downing Street.

• Trafalgar Square
• Changing of the Guard
• Houses of Parliament
• Westminster Abbey
• The Churchill War Rooms
• The Horse Guards
• St. James’s Palace

Find some more ideas, read our post on  what to see in Royal London .

Many of these attractions have ticket prices attached to them for entry. Most are included in a number of tourist attraction discount passes available to you in London.

Read our post which compares these city passes to see if any are a good fit for you.

TOURS OF 10 DOWNING STREET

As noted above, you cannot walk on Downing Street as a member of the general public.

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.

An Inside Look at 10 Downing Street

This video below made for the 2012 Olympics, gives you a good look into the public rooms inside 10 Downing Street.

Also, take a look at the  virtual tour of 10 Downing Street  on the UK Government's website.

Lastly, Google made this crystal-clear 360-degree virtual tour of some of the rooms in 10 Downing Street.

Outside 10 Downing Street

Here are some tips on how to get a good glimpse of the famous black door (and perhaps famous people as well).

(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.

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.

(2) You can actually see 10 Downing Street while taking a ride on the London Eye ! 

(3) Make sure to go to the gates on Whitehall, which is where you will get your best pictures through the heavy security and barriers.

(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. 

Also, Wednesdays between 11 and 11:30 a.m. are good since the PM leaves at this time to head to Parliament.

Larry, Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office

Prime ministers come and go, but one resident of 10 Downing Street has no plans to leave any time soon.

Larry the cat, whose official title is Chief Mouser, has been living at 10 Downing Street since February 2011. He has now seen two PMs come and go.

He may be the most beloved resident of 10 Downing Street in the modern era and his activities are watched closely by the press and the adoring public. 

Here he is, on May 24, 2019, being escorted into the residence just minutes before Theresa May stood in front of the famous black door and announced her resignation.

HISTORY OF DOWNING STREET

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. James’s Park .

He originally intended that the street should be full of fine townhouses designed specifically “for persons of good quality to inhabit in...”

When building these houses, Downing was assisted by master architect Sir Christopher Wren, who designed the buildings.

Most were actually built rather cheaply and were not of good quality – still the case when Winston Churchill resided at Number 10 and he is quoted as saying his house was “shaky and lightly built by the profiteering contractor whose name that bear.”

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.

Regardless of this fact, a portrait of him still hangs in the entrance foyer of Number 10 Downing Street.

By the 1800s the houses had nearly all been taken over by the government.

Some of the original buildings were demolished to allow space to build and expand the Privy Council Office, the Board of Trade, and the Treasury Offices.

10 Downing Street

The majority of the UK's Prime Ministers, dating back to the very first, (Robert Walpole in 1720) have called Number 10 home.

The building itself is made up of over 100 hundred rooms – only part of which is actually residential.

There is a private residence on the third floor and a private kitchen in the basement.

Everything in between is offices, conference rooms, reception halls, sitting rooms, dining rooms, etc.

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.

The front door to Number 10 is most likely the most famous feature of the building.

Large, shiny, and black and bearing ‘10’ in large brass numbers, the door is most likely one of the most photographed in the world!

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.

The original door can be seen by the public – it is on display in the Churchill Museum at the Cabinet War Rooms .

According to Margaret Thatcher, Number 10 Downing Street is “one of the most precious jewels in the national heritage.”

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Take a tour through the historic rooms of 10 Downing Street

A selection of three of the most famous rooms in 10 downing street.

By 10 Downing Street

10 Downing Street

Churchill Memoirs: 10 Downing Street by William J Sumits LIFE Photo Collection

The Cabinet Room

The Cabinet Room is at the heart of collective Government. The Prime Minister holds weekly meetings on a Tuesday morning with their entire Cabinet. They meet to discuss domestic and foreign affairs and important legislation.

A view of the famous cabinet table. See if you can guess which chair the Prime Minister sits in...

This room has seen some truly monumental moments in British political history.

Simon Schama's Tour of Downing Street. Pt2: The Cabinet Room (2015-06-15) by 10 Downing Street 10 Downing Street

On 7th February 1991, a terrorist mortar bomb exploded in the garden of Number 10, just a few metres from the Cabinet Room. John Major was chairing a Cabinet meeting at the time.

Otherwise known as the Thatcher Room, given it was used by Margaret Thatcher as her main office.

Just like the cabinet room, the study includes a table which has a fascinating history of its own.

The study's wall pays tribute to one of its most famous residents, thanks to artist Richard Stone.

Mikhail Gorbachev (1984-12-16) by Fox Photos Getty Images

Margaret Thatcher, who won three consecutive general elections, has certainly left her mark on Downing Street.

The Grand Staircase

Portraits of every Prime Minister line the walls in chronological order, with the most recent incumbents at the top and group photographs from past Cabinets and Imperial Conferences at the bottom.

Black and white engravings and photographs of all the past Prime Ministers decorate the wall; every time a Prime Minister leaves No. 10, the pictures are moved down one by one to make way for their portrait.

The Grand Staircase captures centuries of British political history, stretching all the way back to Sir Robert Walpole, generally regarded as the first Prime Minister.

Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill by Yousuf Karsh 10 Downing Street

Winston Churchill is the only Prime Minister to have two portraits on the staircase. See if you can find both in the street view tour of 10 Downing Street.

Produced by 10 Downing Street. Images courtesy of the Government Art Collection and other external sources. With thanks to Researcher in Residence at 10 Downing Street Jack Brown of Kings College London.

Meet two of the most iconic British Prime Ministers

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Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street

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10 Downing Street is the official residence and the office of the British Prime Minister. The office helps the Prime Minister to establish and deliver the government’s overall strategy and policy priorities, and to communicate the government’s policies to Parliament, the public and international audiences.

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Contact: Prime Minister's Office enquiries

Emails can be sent to the Prime Minister’s Office using the link above. If you are emailing about an issue relating to the responsibilities of another Government Department or public authority then you should contact them directly. Due to the exceptionally high volumes of emails being received at this time, the Prime Minister’s Office is only able to deal with those that relate directly to the Prime Minister. At this time we are not able to respond to emails that do not fall into this category or are of a general nature. Please consider carefully whether your email is necessary and note that emails are not monitored throughout the day or at weekends.

Lessons at 10

Contact: Lessons at 10

Lessons at 10 is an initiative set up by Mrs Murty with the aim of providing children with the unique opportunity to experience what goes on behind the scenes of the famous black door of 10 Downing Street. With the help of special guests, industry experts and incredible charitable organisations, Lessons at 10 hopes to bring education to life, encourage a love for learning and inspire children from across the UK.

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The Ultimate Guide to visiting 10 Downing Street

10 downing street ultimate guide.

It has one of the most famous addresses in the world and the most photographed door in England, yet many don’t even bother including 10 Downing Street in their London travel because they can’t even get close to it. But even though you can’t even step inside 10 Downing Street, let alone walk down Downing Street, just snapping a photo of the iconic front black door is a tourist activity in itself.

10 Downing Street is essentially London’s White House, and has been the official address for British prime ministers since 1735. The first residential home which was built on the site of 10 Downing Street was constructed by Sir Thomas Knyvett in 1581; (who was perhaps best known for arresting Guy Fawkes after the gunpowder plot). Some of the many famous political figures who once lived and/or worked at 10 Downing Street include Winston Churchill, Margaret Thatcher, Pitt the Younger, Robert Walpole, Benjamin Disraeli, William Gladstone and David Lloyd George.

Both the first and second world wars were directed from inside 10 Downing Street, and some of the many key decisions related to the British Empire were developed here as well; (such as the building of the British nuclear bomb, the Great Depression, and many more).

10 Downing Street also stretches all the way to 12 Downing Street (because of its interconnected corridors and buildings which make up much of the street), and many important world leaders visit 10 Downing Street throughout the year whenever the British prime minister hosts a reception or charitable event.

10 Downing Street Highlights

10 Downing Street’s front door is said to be the most photographed front door in all of Britain, and can only be seen when looking through the gates from Whitehall; (where you can see the single white stone step and the black steel door with the number “10” on it). The door was originally made of oak, but was replaced with blast-proof material in 1991 after an IRA bomb exploded in the nearby garden.

For those with good eyesight and/or a camera with a good zoom, you should be able to see the front door’s black iron knocker (in the shape of a lion’s head) as well as the brass letter box with the “First Lord of the Treasury” inscription.

The iconic black bricks of the house are also famous (although they are actually yellow underneath). They were blackened by the London smog during the 19th century, and as a result were painted black during the 1960s since people were accustomed to seeing them that way.

Inside 10 Downing Street is a treasure trove of architectural delights that very few people get to see (unless you’re famous, or a royal, of course). Its main staircase is perhaps one of the most famous highlights of the house, as the walls along the staircase are lined with portraits of past British prime ministers.

Special Tips

Getting There

Visiting 10 downing street.

Unfortunately for tourists, 10 Downing Street (as well as the majority of Downing Street itself) is blocked off by a black gate and heavily patrolled by police at all times. (However, visitors can now take a look at the inside of 10 Downing Street by taking a 360-degree virtual tour on 10 Downing Street’s official website).

If you’re lucky enough, you might even be able to see the Prime Minister leaving or entering the residence in his armed car. You’ll know if the prime minister is en route to or from Downing Street because there is normally a flurry of activity with lots of people and police officers standing around (and possibly even some photographers too). But don’t let the flurry of activity deceive you, because the prime minister may be leaving or entering the residence when there is no one around at all!

The closest you can get to 10 Downing Street would be to stand on the edge of the street next to the FCO building (near the Captain James Cook statue) and peer through the black barriers. In your view you should be able to see 10 and 11 Downing Street, as well as a group of armed forces with machine guns standing near the famous black door.

Ticket prices and Opening Hours

Unfortunately for tourists, 10 Downing Street is not open to the public. As a matter of fact, you can’t even walk up to the residence, let alone walk down Downing Street.

However, if you’re hoping to see the prime minister enter or leave the residence, check to see if the gates are open. In that case, you may be able to catch a glimpse of the Prime Minister from far away, or even snap a photo through the high iron gates at the end of Downing Street.

Your best chances of seeing any kind of activity on Downing Street would be on a Thursday morning, which is when the cabinet meets the prime minister every week. The prime minister usually leaves for Parliament between 11 and 11:30 a.m. every Wednesday as well.

Although there’s no telling when the cabinet minister and/or prime minister will enter or leave the building, your chances of spotting them will be higher during weekday mornings, rather than at night, or on the weekends.

If you are checking out Downing Street you might also want to join any of the  free tours  that are available on offer.

Free Tours in Your Language

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DOWNING STREET: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

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10 Downing Street

***TOO LONG***10 Downing Street (pronunciation (help·info)) 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 also the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Along with the adjoining Cabinet Office at 70 Whitehall, it is the headquarters of the Government of the United Kingdom.

Situated in Downing Street in the City of Westminster, London, Number 10 is over 300 years old and contains approximately 100 rooms. A private residence for the prime minister's use occupies the third floor and there is a kitchen in the basement. 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. At the rear is an interior courtyard and a terrace overlooking a 1⁄2 acre (0.2 ha) garden. Adjacent to St James's Park, Number 10 is approximately 3⁄4 mile (1.2 km) from Buckingham Palace, the London residence of the British Monarch, and near the Palace of Westminster, the meeting place of both Houses of Parliament.

Originally three houses, Number 10 was offered to Sir Robert Walpole by King George II in 1732. Walpole accepted on the condition that the gift was to the office of First Lord of the Treasury. The post of First Lord of the Treasury has, for much of the 18th and 19th centuries and invariably since 1905, been held by the Prime Minister. Walpole commissioned William Kent to join the three houses and it is this larger house that is known as Number 10 Downing Street.

Despite its size and convenient location near to Parliament, few early prime ministers lived at 10 Downing Street. 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. In 1985, Margaret Thatcher said Number 10 had become "one of the most precious jewels in the national heritage".

10 Downing Street is Government property. Its registered legal title is held in the name of Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (the Secretary of State is a corporation sole).

Original 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. The town house, from which the modern building gets its name, was one of several built by Sir George Downing between 1682 and 1684.

Downing, a notorious spy for Oliver Cromwell and later Charles II, invested in property and acquired considerable wealth. In 1654, he purchased the lease on land south of St James's Park, adjacent to the House at the Back within walking distance of parliament. Downing planned to build a row of terraced town houses "for persons of good quality to inhabit in ..." The street on which he built them now bears his name, and the largest became part of Number 10 Downing Street.

Straightforward as the investment seemed, it proved otherwise. The Hampden family had a lease on the land that they refused to relinquish. Downing fought their claim, but failed and had to wait 30 years before he could build. When the Hampden lease expired, Downing received permission to build on land further west to take advantage of more recent property developments. 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 14 feet of the wall of the said Park at the West end thereof". Between 1682 and 1684, Downing built a cul-de-sac of two-storey town houses with coach-houses, stables and views of St James's Park. Over the years, the addresses changed several times. In 1787 Number 5 became "Number 10".

Downing employed Sir Christopher Wren to design the houses. Although large, they were put up quickly and cheaply on soft soil with shallow foundations. Winston Churchill wrote that Number 10 was "shaky and lightly built by the profiteering contractor whose name they bear".

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. An advertisement in 1720 described it as "a pretty open Place, especially at the upper end, where are four or five very large and well-built Houses, fit for Persons of Honour and Quality; each House having a pleasant Prospect into St James's Park, with a Tarras Walk". The cul-de-sac had several distinguished residents: Elizabeth Paston lived at Number 10 between 1688 and 1689, Lord Lansdowne from 1692 to 1696 and the Earl of Grantham from 1699 to 1703.

Downing did not live in Downing Street. In 1675 he retired to Cambridge, where he died in 1684, a few months after building was completed. 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. Downing's portrait hangs in the entrance hall of Number 10.

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. Rebuilt, expanded, and renovated many times since, it was originally one of several buildings that made up the "Cockpit Lodgings", so-called because they were attached to an octagonal structure used for cock-fighting. Early in the 17th century, the Cockpit was converted to a concert hall and theatre; after the Glorious Revolution of 1688, some of the first cabinet meetings were held there secretly.

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. The previous year, Knevett had moved into a house next door, approximately where Number 10 is today.

From that time, the "House at the Back" was usually occupied by members of the royal family or the government. Princess Elizabeth, eldest daughter of King James I, lived there from 1604 until 1613 when she married Frederick V, Elector Palatine and moved to Heidelberg. 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.

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. As head of the Great Treasury Commission of 1667–1672, Albemarle transformed accounting methods and allowed the Crown greater control over expenses. His secretary, Sir George Downing, 1st Baronet, who built Downing Street, is thought to have created these changes. Albemarle is the first treasury minister to have lived in what became the home of the First Lord of the Treasury and Prime Minister.

In 1671 George Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham took possession when he joined the Cabal Ministry. At considerable expense, Buckingham rebuilt the house. The result was a spacious mansion, lying parallel to Whitehall Palace with a view of St James Park from its garden.

After Buckingham retired in 1676, Lady Charlotte Fitzroy, Charles II's daughter, moved in when she married Edward Lee, 1st Earl of Lichfield. The Crown authorised extensive rebuilding which included adding a storey, thus giving it three main floors, an attic and basement. This structure can be seen today as the rear section of Number 10.(See Plan of the Premises Granted to the Earl and Countess of Lichfield in 1677) The likely reason that repair was required is that the house had settled in the swampy ground near the Thames, causing structural damage. 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 Lichfields followed James II into exile after the Glorious Revolution. Two years later in 1690, William III and Mary II gave the "House at the Back" to Hendrik van Nassau-Ouwerkerk, a Dutch general who had assisted in securing the Crown for the Prince of Orange. Nassau, who Anglicised his name to "Overkirk", lived there until his death in 1708.

The "House at the Back" reverted to the Crown when Lady Overkirk died in 1720. The Treasury issued an order "for repairing and fitting it up in the best and most substantial manner" at a cost of £2,522. The work included: "The Back passage into Downing street to be repaired and a new door; a New Necessary House to be made; To take down the Useless passage formerly made for the Maids of Honour to go into Downing Street, when the Queen lived at the Cockpit; To New Cast a great Lead Cistern & pipes and to lay the Water into the house & a new frame for ye Cistern".(See Buildings on the Site of the Cockpit and Number 10 Downing Street c1720)

The name of the "House at the Back" changed with the occupant, from Lichfield House to Overkirk House in 1690 to Bothmer House in 1720.

First politician and "head of government" in the house

Johann Caspar von Bothmer, Premier Minister of the Electorate of Hanover, head of the German Chancery and adviser to George I and II, took up residency in 1720. Although Bothmer complained about "the ruinous Condition of the Premises", he lived there until his death in 1732. Even though Count von Bothmer was not British, he was a subject of George I and George II and the first politician and head of a government who resided in 10 Downing Street.

When Count Bothmer died, ownership of the "House at the Back" reverted to the Crown. George II took this opportunity to offer it to Sir Robert Walpole, often called the first prime minister, as a gift for his services to the nation: stabilising its finances, keeping it at peace and securing the Hanoverian succession. Coincidentally, the King had obtained the leases on two Downing Street properties, including Number 10, and added these to his proposed gift.

Walpole did not accept the gift for himself. He proposed—and the King agreed—that the Crown give the properties to the Office of First Lord of the Treasury. Walpole would live there as the incumbent First Lord, but would vacate it for the next one.

To enlarge the new house, Walpole persuaded Mr Chicken, the tenant of a cottage next door, to move to another house in Downing Street. This small house and the mansion at the back were then incorporated into Number 10. Walpole commissioned William Kent to convert them into one building. 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. The remaining interior space was converted into a courtyard. He connected the Downing Street houses with a corridor.

Having united the structures, Kent gutted and rebuilt the interior. He then surmounted the third storey of the house at the back with a pediment. To allow Walpole quicker access to Parliament, Kent closed the north side entrance from St James's Park, and made the door in Downing Street the main entrance.

The rebuilding took three years. On 23 September 1735, the London Daily Post announced that: "Yesterday the Right Hon. Sir Robert Walpole, with his Lady and Family, removed from their House in St James's Square, to his new House, adjoining to the Treasury in St James's Park". The cost of conversion is unknown. Originally estimated at £8,000, the final cost probably exceeded £20,000.

Walpole did not enter through the now-famous door; that would not be installed until forty years later. Kent's door was modest, belying the spacious elegance beyond. 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. One of the largest rooms was a study measuring forty feet by twenty with enormous windows overlooking St James's Park. "My Lord's Study" (as Kent labelled it in his drawings) would later become the Cabinet Room where Prime Ministers meet with the Cabinet ministers.

Shortly after moving in, Walpole ordered that a portion of the land outside his study be converted into a terrace and garden. Letters patent issued in April 1736 state that: "... a piece of garden ground situated in his Majesty's park of St James's, & belonging & adjoining to the house now inhabited by the Right Honourable the Chancellor of His Majesty's Exchequer, hath been lately made & fitted up at the Charge ... of the Crown".

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".

Walpole lived in Number 10 until 1742. Although he had accepted it on behalf of future First Lords of the Treasury, it would be 21 years before any of his successors chose to live there; the five who followed Walpole preferred their own homes. This was the pattern until the beginning of the 20th century. Of the 31 First Lords from 1735 to 1902, only 16 (including Walpole) lived in Number 10.

One reason many First Lords chose not to live in Number 10 was that most owned London town houses superior in size and quality. To them, Number 10 was unimpressive. Their possession of the house, albeit temporary, was a perquisite they could bestow as a political reward. Most lent it to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, others to lesser officials or to friends and relatives.

Another reason for its unpopularity was that Number 10 was a hazardous place in which to live. Prone to sinking because it was built on soft soil and a shallow foundation, floors buckled and walls and chimneys cracked. It became unsafe and frequently required repairs. In 1766, for example, Charles Townshend, Chancellor of the Exchequer, pointed out that the house was in a dilapidated condition. 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". Townshend ordered extensive repairs, which were still incomplete eight years later. A note from Lord North to the Office of Works, dated September 1774, asks that the work on the front of the house, "which was begun by a Warrant from the Treasury dated 9 August 1766", should be finished. (See Kent's Treasury and No. 10, Downing Street, circa 1754.)

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. In 1782 the Board of Works reporting on "the dangerous state of the old part of the House", stated that "no time be lost in taking down said building". In 1783 the Duke of Portland moved out because it was once again in need of repair. A committee found that the money spent so far was insufficient. This time the Board of Works declared that "the Repairs, Alterations & Additions at the Chancellor of the Exchequer's House will amount to the sum of £5,580, exclusive of the sum for which they already have His Majesty's Warrant. And praying a Warrant for the said sum of £5,580—and also praying an Imprest of that sum to enable them to pay the Workmen". This proved to be a gross underestimate; the final bill was over £11,000. The Morning Herald fumed about the expense: "£500 pounds p.a. preceding the Great Repair, and £11,000 the Great Repair itself! So much has this extraordinary edifice cost the country – For one moiety of the sum a much better dwelling might have been purchased!"(See Plan of the Design for Number 10 c1781.)

A few prime ministers however did enjoy living in Number 10. Lord North, who conducted the war against the American Revolution, lived there happily with his family from 1767 to 1782. William Pitt the Younger, who made it his home for twenty years (longer than any First Lord before or since) from 1783 to 1801 and from 1804 to 1806, referred to it as "My vast, awkward house". 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. Fredrick Robinson, Lord Goderich took a special liking to the house in the late 1820s and spent state funds lavishly remodelling the interior.

Nevertheless, for 70 years following Pitt's death in 1806, Number 10 was rarely used as the First Lord's residence. From 1834 to 1877, it was either vacant or used only for offices and meetings.

Downing Street declined at the turn of the 19th century, becoming surrounded with run-down buildings, dark alleys, the scene of crime and prostitution. Earlier, the government had taken over the other Downing Street houses: the Colonial Office occupied Number 14 in 1798; the Foreign Office was at Number 16 and the houses on either side; the West India Department was in Number 18; and the Tithe Commissioners in Number 20. The houses deteriorated from neglect, became unsafe, and one by one were demolished. 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). In 1879 a fire destroyed the upper floors of Number 12; it was renovated but only as a single-storey structure.(See Numbers 10, 11, and 12 Downing Street First Floor Plan and Ground Floor Plan.)

When Lord Salisbury retired in 1902, his nephew, Arthur James Balfour, became Prime Minister. It was an easy transition: he was already First Lord of the Treasury and he was already living in Number 10. Balfour revived the custom that Number 10 is the First Lord and Prime Minister's official residence. It has remained the custom since.

However, there have been numerous times when prime ministers have unofficially lived elsewhere out of necessity or preference. Winston Churchill, for example, had a great affection for Number 10, but, during World War II, he grudgingly slept in the hastily converted flat on the ground floor of what was then the New Public Office building (NPO) at nearby Storey's Gate. 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. To reassure the people that his government was functioning normally, he insisted on being seen entering and leaving Number 10 occasionally, and indeed, continued to use it for meetings and dinners despite being urged not to.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". However, recognizing the symbolic importance of Number 10, he worked and held meetings there and entertained guests in the State Dining Room.

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). In May 2010, it was reported that David Cameron, who also had four small children upon taking office, would also take up actual residence above Number 11, and his Chancellor, George Osborne, above Number 10.

Despite these exceptions, Number 10 has been known as the prime minister's official home for over one hundred years. By the turn of the 20th century, photography and the penny press had linked Number 10 in the public mind with the premiership. The introduction of films and television would strengthen this association. Pictures of prime ministers with distinguished guests at the door became commonplace. With or without the prime minister present, visitors had their picture taken. 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. In 1931, Mohandas Gandhi, wearing the traditional homespun dhoti, posed leaving Number 10 after meeting with Ramsay MacDonald to discuss India's independence. This picture, too, became famous especially in India. The freedom fighters could see their leader had been received in the prime minister's home. Couse's elegant, understated door—stark black, framed in cream white with a bold white "10" clearly visible—was the perfect backdrop to record such events. Prime Ministers made historic announcements from the front step. 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. During World War II, Churchill was photographed many times emerging confidently from Number 10 holding up two fingers in the sign for "Victory". The building itself, however, did not escape the London Blitz entirely unscathed; in February 1944 a bomb fell on nearby Horse Guards Parade and some of the drawing-room windows were destroyed.

The symbol of British government, Number 10 became a gathering place for protesters. Emmeline Pankhurst and other suffragette leaders stormed Downing Street in 1908; anti-Vietnam War protestors marched there in the 1960s, as did anti-Iraq and Afghanistan War protestors in the 2000s. Number 10 became an obligatory stop in every tourist's sightseeing trip to London. Ordinary people, not only British but foreign tourists, posed smiling and laughing in front of its famous door.

By the middle of the 20th century, Number 10 was falling apart again. The deterioration had been obvious for some time. The number of people allowed in the upper floors was limited for fear the bearing walls would collapse. The staircase had sunk several inches; some steps were buckled and the balustrade was out of alignment. Dry rot was widespread throughout. The interior wood in the Cabinet Room's double columns was like sawdust. Skirting boards, doors, sills and other woodwork were riddled and weakened with disease. After reconstruction had begun, miners dug down into the foundations and found that the huge wooden beams supporting the house had decayed.

In 1958, a committee under the chairmanship of the Earl of Crawford and Balcarres was appointed by Harold Macmillan to investigate the condition of the house and make recommendations. In the committee's report there was some discussion of tearing down the building and constructing an entirely new residence but because the prime minister's home had become an icon of British architecture like Windsor Castle, Buckingham Palace and the Houses of Parliament, the committee recommended that Number 10 (and Numbers 11 and 12) should be rebuilt using as much of the original materials as possible. The interior would be photographed, measured, disassembled, and restored. A new foundation with deep pilings would be laid and the original buildings reassembled on top of it, allowing for much needed expansion and modernisation. Any original materials that were beyond repair – such as the pair of double columns in the Cabinet Room – would be replicated in detail. This was a formidable undertaking: the three buildings contained over 200 rooms spread out over five floors.

The architect Raymond Erith carried out the design for this painstaking work and the contractor that undertook it was John Mowlem & Co.The Times reported initially that the cost for the project would be £400,000. After more careful studies were completed, it was concluded that the "total cost was likely to be £1,250,000" and would take two years to complete. In the end, the cost was close to £3,000,000 and took almost three years due in large part to 14 labour strikes. There were also delays when archaeological excavations uncovered important artefacts dating from Roman, Saxon and medieval times. Macmillan lived in Admiralty House during the reconstruction.

The new foundation was made of steel-reinforced concrete with pilings sunk 6 to 18 feet (1.8 to 5.5 m). The "new" Number 10 consisted of about 60% new materials; the remaining 40% was either restored or replicas of originals. Many rooms and sections of the new building were reconstructed exactly as they were in the old Number 10. These included: the garden floor, the door and entrance foyer, the stairway, the hallway to the Cabinet Room, the Cabinet Room, the garden and terrace, the Small and Large State Rooms and the three reception rooms. The staircase, however, was rebuilt and simplified. Steel was hidden inside the columns in the Pillared Drawing Room to support the floor above. The upper floors were modernised and the third floor extended over Numbers 11 and 12 to allow more living space. 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.

When builders examined the exterior façade, they discovered that the black colour visible even in photographs from the mid-19th century was misleading; the bricks were actually yellow. The black appearance was the product of two centuries of pollution. To preserve the 'traditional' look of recent times, the newly cleaned yellow bricks were painted black to resemble their well-known appearance. The thin tuckpointing mortar between the bricks is not painted, and so contrasts with the bricks.

Although the reconstruction was generally considered an architectural triumph, Erith was disappointed. He complained openly during and after the project that the government had altered his design to save money. "I am heart broken by the result," he said. "The whole project has been a frightful waste of money because it just has not been done properly. The Ministry of Works has insisted on economy after economy. I am bitterly disappointed with what has happened." Erith described the numbers on the front, intended to be based on historical models, as 'a mess' and 'completely wrong' to a fellow historian.

Erith's concerns proved justified. Within a few years, dry rot was discovered, especially in the main rooms due to inadequate waterproofing and a broken water pipe. Extensive reconstruction again had to be undertaken in the late 1960s to resolve these problems. Further extensive repairs and remodelling, commissioned by Margaret Thatcher, were completed in the 1980s under the direction of Erith's associate, Quinlan Terry.

1990–present

The work done by Erith and Terry in the 1960s and 1980s represent the most extensive remodelling of Number 10 in recent times. Since 1990 when the Terry reconstruction was completed, repairing, redecorating, remodelling, and updating the house has been ongoing as needed. 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. In the summer of 1993 windows were rebuilt and in 1995 computer cables installed. In 1997, the building was remodelled to provide extra space for the prime minister's greatly increased staff.

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 2010, the Camerons completely modernised the 50-year-old private kitchen in Number 11. In March 2020, Prime Minister Boris Johnson refurbished the residential apartment at Number 11. This became the subject of public controversy, and an Electoral Commission inquiry took place into the financing of the refurbishment.

10 Downing Street today

The current tenant of 10 Downing Street is the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak. It has been common practice in recent decades for the Prime Minister to live at Number 11, as its residential apartment is larger, and for the Chancellor to live at Number 10. However, the traditional residencies have not changed in official terms.

It presently houses the UK Cabinet Room in which Cabinet meetings in the UK take place, chaired by the current Prime Minister, Boris Johnson. It also houses the Prime Minister's Executive Office, which deals with logistics and diplomacy concerning the government of the United Kingdom.

Number 10's door is the product of the renovations Charles Townshend ordered in 1766; it was probably not completed until 1772. Executed in the Georgian style by the architect Kenton Couse, it is unassuming and narrow, consisting of a single white stone step leading to a modest brick front. The small, six-panelled door, originally made of black oak, is surrounded by cream-coloured casing and adorned with a semicircular fanlight window. Painted in white, between the top and middle sets of panels, is the number "10". The zero of the number "10" is painted in a very eccentric style, in a 37° angle anticlockwise. One theory is that this is in fact a capital 'O' as found in the Roman's Trajan alphabet that was used by the Ministry of Works at the time. A black iron knocker in the shape of a lion's head is between the two middle panels; below the knocker is a brass letter box with the inscription "First Lord of the Treasury". The doorbell is inscribed with "PUSH" although is rarely used in practice. 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. The fence rises above the step into a double-swirled archway, supporting an iron gas lamp surmounted by a crown.(See The Entrance Door c1930: As seen from the outside)

After the IRA mortar attack in 1991, the original black oak door was replaced by a blast-proof steel one. Regularly removed for refurbishment and replaced with a replica, it is so heavy that it takes eight men to lift it. The brass letterbox still bears the legend "First Lord of the Treasury". The original door was put on display in the Churchill Museum at the Cabinet War Rooms.

The door cannot be opened from the outside; there is always someone inside to unlock the door.

Beyond the door, Couse installed black and white marble tiles in the entrance hall that are still in use. A guard's chair designed by Chippendale sits in one corner. 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. Scratches on the right arm were caused by their pistols rubbing up against the leather.

Number 10 Downing Street has a lift.

Couse also added a bow front to the small cottage—formerly Mr Chicken's house—incorporated into Number 10 in Walpole's time.(See The Entrance Door c1930: As seen from inside showing the black and white marble floor and the door providing access to Number 11)

Main staircase

When William Kent rebuilt the interior between 1732 and 1734, his craftsmen created a stone triple staircase. The main section had no visible supports. With a wrought iron balustrade, embellished with a scroll design, and mahogany handrail, it rises from the garden floor to the third floor. Kent's staircase is the first architectural feature visitors see as they enter Number 10. Black and white engravings and photographs of all the past prime ministers decorate the wall. They are rearranged slightly to make room for a photograph of each new Prime Minister. There is one exception. Winston Churchill is represented in two photographs. At the bottom of the staircase are group photographs of Prime Ministers with their Cabinet ministers and representatives to imperial conferences. (See The Main Stairway c1930 General view showing portraits of the prime ministers and Detail of the Wrought Iron Balustrade) (See also Simon Schama's Tour of Downing Street. Pt4: The Staircase)

In Kent's design for the enlarged Number 10, the Cabinet Room was a simple rectangular space with enormous windows. As part of the renovations begun in 1783, it was extended, giving the space its modern appearance. Probably not completed until 1796, this alteration was achieved by removing the east wall and rebuilding it several feet inside the adjoining secretaries' room. At the entrance, a screen of two pairs of Corinthian columns was erected (to carry the extra span of the ceiling) supporting a moulded entablature that wraps around the room. Robert Taylor, the architect who executed this concept, was knighted on its completion. The resulting small space, framed by the pillars, serves as an anteroom to the larger area. Hendrick Danckerts' painting "The Palace of Whitehall" (shown at the beginning of this article) usually hangs in the ante-room. 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.

Although Kent intended the First Lord to use this space as his study, it has rarely served that purpose; it has almost always been the Cabinet Room. There have been a few exceptions. Stanley Baldwin used the Cabinet Room as his office. A few prime ministers, such as Tony Blair, occasionally worked at the Cabinet Room table. Painted off-white with large floor to ceiling windows along one of the long walls, the room is light and airy. Three brass chandeliers hang from the high ceiling. The Cabinet table, purchased during the Gladstone era, dominates the room. The modern boat-shaped top, introduced by Harold Macmillan in the late 1950s, is supported by huge original oak legs. The table is surrounded by carved, solid mahogany chairs that also date from the Gladstone era. The prime minister's chair, the only one with arms, is situated midway along one side in front of the marble fireplace, facing the windows; when not in use, it is positioned at an angle for easy access. The only picture in the room is a copy of a portrait of Sir Robert Walpole by Jean-Baptiste van Loo hanging over the fireplace. Each Cabinet member is allocated a chair based on order of seniority. Blotters inscribed with their titles mark their places.

The First Lord has no designated office space in Number 10; each has chosen one of the adjoining rooms as his or her private office.

State drawing rooms

Number 10 has three inter-linked state drawing rooms: the Pillared Drawing Room, the Terracotta Drawing Room and the White Drawing Room. (See the three state drawing rooms.)

The largest is the Pillared Room thought to have been created in 1796 by Taylor. Measuring 37 feet (11 m) long by 28 feet (8.5 m) wide, it takes its name from the twin Ionic pilasters with straight pediments at one end. Today, there is a portrait of Queen Elizabeth I over the fireplace; during the Thatcher Ministry (1979–1990), a portrait of William Pitt by Romney was hung there.

A Persian carpet covers almost the entire floor. A copy of a 16th-century original now kept in the Victoria and Albert Museum, there is an inscription woven into it that reads: "I have no refuge in the world other than thy threshold. My head has no protection other than this porchway. The work of a slave of the holy place, Maqsud of Kashan in the year 926" (the Islamic year corresponding to 1520).

In the restoration conducted in the late 1980s, Quinlan Terry restored the fireplace. Executed in the Kentian style, the small Ionic pilasters in the over-mantel are miniature duplicates of the large Ionic pillars in the room. The Ionic motif is also found in the door surrounds and panelling.

Sparsely furnished with a few chairs and sofas around the walls, the Pillared Room is usually used to receive guests before they go into the State Dining Room. However, it is sometimes used for other purposes that require a large open space. International agreements have been signed in this room. Tony Blair entertained the England Rugby Union team in the Pillared Room after they won the World Cup in 2003. John Logie Baird gave Ramsay MacDonald a demonstration of his invention, the television, in this room.(See The Pillared Drawing Room c1927)

The Terracotta Room is the middle of the three drawing rooms. It was used as the dining room when Sir Robert Walpole was prime minister. The name changes according to the colour it is painted. When Margaret Thatcher came to power it was the Blue Room; she had it re-decorated and renamed the Green Room. It is now painted terracotta.

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. Terry also added an ornate gilded ceiling to give the rooms a more stately look. Carved into the plasterwork above the door leading to the Pillared Room is a tribute to Margaret Thatcher: a straw-carrying 'thatcher'.

The White State Drawing room was, until the 1940s, used by Prime Ministers and their partners for their private use. It was here that Edward Heath kept his grand piano. It is often used as the backdrop for television interviews and is in regular use as a meeting room for Downing Street staff. The room links through to the Terracotta Room next door. In the reconstruction during the late 1980s, Quinlan Terry used Corinthian columns and added ornate Baroque-style central ceiling mouldings and corner mouldings of the four national flowers of the United Kingdom: rose (England), thistle (Scotland), daffodil (Wales) and shamrock (Northern Ireland).

State Dining Room

When Frederick Robinson (later Lord Goderich), became Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1823, he decided to leave a personal legacy to the nation. To this end, he employed Sir John Soane, the distinguished architect who had designed the Bank of England and many other famous buildings, to build a State Dining Room for Number 10. 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. Accessed through the first floor, its vaulted, arched ceiling rises up through the next so that it actually occupies two floors. Measuring 42 by 26 feet (12.8 by 7.9 m), it is the largest room in Number 10. Soane was the guest of honour when the dining room was first used on 4 April 1826.

The room is usually furnished with a table surrounded by 20 reproduction Adam style chairs originally made for the British Embassy in Rio de Janeiro. For larger gatherings, a horseshoe-shaped table is brought in that will accommodate up to 65 guests. On these occasions, the table is set with the Silver Trust Silver set given to Downing Street in the 1990s. (See the State Dining room with the Silver Trust Silver in use for a luncheon) Above the fireplace, overlooking the room, is a massive portrait by John Shackleton of George II, the king who originally gave the building to the First Lord of the Treasury in 1732. Celebrity chefs such as Nigella Lawson have cooked for Prime Ministers' guests using the small kitchen next door. Entering through the Small Dining Room, Blair used this room for his monthly press conferences. (See Simon Schama's Tour of Downing Street. Pt 3: The Dining Room) (See The State Dining Room c1930: View toward the entrance and View from the entrance and also a more modern view)

The great kitchen located in the basement was another part of the renovations begun in 1783, probably also under the direction of Robert Taylor. Seldom seen by anyone other than staff, the space is two storeys high with a huge arched window and vaulted ceiling. Traditionally, it has always had a chopping block work table in the centre that is 14 feet (4.3 m) long, 3 feet (0.91 m) wide and 5 inches (13 cm) thick.

Smaller Dining or Breakfast Room

Above Taylor's vaulted kitchen, between the Pillared Room and the State Dining room, Soane created a Smaller Dining Room (sometimes called the Breakfast Room) that still exists. To build it, Soane removed the chimney from the kitchen to put a door in the room. He then moved the chimney to the east side, running a Y-shaped split flue inside the walls up either side of one of the windows above. The room therefore has a unique architectural feature: over the fireplace there is a window instead of the usual chimney breast.

With its flat unadorned ceiling, simple mouldings and deep window seats, the Small Dining Room is intimate and comfortable. Usually furnished with a mahogany table seating only eight, Prime Ministers have often used this room when dining with family or when entertaining special guests on more personal state occasions.(See the Small Dining or Breakfast Room c1927. The double doors behind the table lead to the State Dining Room.)

The terrace and garden were constructed in 1736 shortly after Walpole moved into Number 10. The terrace, extending across the back, provides a full view of St James's Park. The garden is dominated by a half-acre (0.2 ha) open lawn which wraps around Numbers 10 and 11 in an L-shape. 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. Tubs of flowers line the steps from the terrace; around the walls are rose beds with flowering and evergreen shrubs. (See North elevation of Number 10 with steps leading to the garden) The terrace and garden have provided a casual setting for many gatherings of First Lords with foreign dignitaries, Cabinet ministers, guests, and staff. Prime Minister Tony Blair, for example, hosted a farewell reception in 2007 for his staff on the terrace. John Major announced his 1995 resignation as leader of the Conservative Party in the garden. Churchill called his secretaries the "garden girls" because their offices overlook the garden. It was also the location of the first press conference announcing the Coalition Government between David Cameron's Conservatives and Nick Clegg's Liberal Democrats.

Furnishings

Number 10 is filled with fine paintings, sculptures, busts and furniture. Only a few are permanent features. Most are on loan. About half belong to the Government Art Collection. The remainder are on loan from private collectors and from public galleries such as the National Portrait Gallery, the Tate Gallery, the Victoria and Albert Museum and the National Gallery. (See works from the Government Art Collection currently on display at Number 10)

About a dozen paintings are changed annually. More extensive changes occur when a new Prime Minister takes office and redecorates. These redecorations may reflect both individual taste as well as make a political statement. Edward Heath borrowed French paintings from the National Gallery and was loaned two Renoirs from a private collector. When Margaret Thatcher arrived in 1979 she insisted that the artwork had to be British and that it celebrate "British achievers". 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. During the 1990s John Major converted the first floor anteroom into a small gallery of modern art, mostly British. He also introduced several paintings by John Constable and J. M. W. Turner, Britain's two best known 19th-century artists, and cricketing paintings by Archibald Stuart-Wortley including a portrait of one of England's most celebrated batsmen W. G. Grace.

In addition to outstanding artwork, Number 10 contains many exceptional pieces of furniture either owned by the house or on loan. One of the most striking and unusual is the Chippendale hooded guard's chair already mentioned that sits in a corner of the entrance hall. To its left is a long case clock by Benson of Whitehaven. A similar clock by Samuel Whichcote of London stands in the Cabinet anteroom. The White State Drawing Room contains examples of Adam furniture. 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. In addition to the large carpet previously described, the Pillared State Drawing Room also contains a marble-topped table by Kent. The State Dining Room contains a mahogany sideboard by Adam.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. This arrangement began to change in 1877 when Benjamin Disraeli took up residency. He insisted that the Treasury should bear the cost of furnishings at least in the public areas. The Treasury agreed and a complex accounting procedure was developed whereby the outgoing prime minister was required to pay for "wear and tear" on furnishings that had been purchased by the Treasury. 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. In 1924 when Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald took office, he did not own nor have the means to buy an extensive art collection. He had the Government Art Collection loan pieces. The arrangement became the standard practice.

250th anniversary: 1985

In 1985, Number 10 was 250 years old. 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. 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 Sir Anthony Eden and niece of Winston Churchill).

That same year, the Leisure Circle published Christopher Jones' book No. 10 Downing Street, The Story of a House. In the foreword, Thatcher described her feelings for Number 10: "How much I wish that the public ... could share with me the feeling of Britain's historic greatness which pervades every nook and cranny of this complicated and meandering old building ... All Prime Ministers are intensely aware that, as tenants and stewards of No. 10 Downing Street, they have in their charge one of the most precious jewels in the nation's heritage".

For most of its history, Number 10 was accessible to the public. Early security consisted of two police officers. One stood guard outside the door. The other was stationed inside to open it. Since the door had no keyhole, the inside officer depended upon the lone outside officer.

During Thatcher's premiership, terrorist threats led to the implementation of a second level of security. Guarded gates were added at both ends of the street. Visitors could then be screened before approaching the door.

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. It exploded in the back garden, while Prime Minister John Major was holding a Cabinet meeting. Major moved to Admiralty House while repairs were being completed. This led to the addition of guardhouses at the street ends as well as other less visible measures. Each guardhouse is staffed by several armed police officers. The Metropolitan Police Service's Diplomatic Protection Group (DPG) provides overall protection and acts on intelligence from MI5.

Office of the Prime Minister

The Prime Minister's Office, for which the terms Downing Street and Number 10 are metonymous, lies within the 10 Downing Street building and is part of the Cabinet Office. It is staffed by a mix of career civil servants and special advisers. The highest ranking civil servant position is the principal private secretary to the prime minister, currentlyMartin Reynolds. 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. 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 who served as the chief adviser to the prime minister, and Edward Lister who served as the chief strategic adviser to the prime minister. Lister served as acting chief of staff, but was replaced by Dan Rosenfield, who officially assumed the role in January 2021. Though Number 10 is formally part of the Cabinet Office, it reports directly to the Cabinet Secretary, who is currentlySimon Case.

In her report about parties on Government premises during the COVID pandemic, Sue Gray concluded that the size of the Downing Street operation had increased without the structures to support them, and too 'much responsibility and expectation is placed on the senior official whose principal function is ... support of the Prime Minister'. 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. Several changes in staffing took place early in February 2022.

Current positions within the Office of the Prime Minister

List of current civil service and senior special adviser positions serving Prime Minister Boris Johnson:

Pre-2001 organisation:

The office was reorganised in 2001 into three directorates:

Changes were intended to strengthen the PM's office. However, some commentators have suggested that Blair's reforms have created something similar to a Prime Minister's Department. 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. 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.

However, the Institute for Government has written that the Cabinet Office (of which the Prime Minister's Office is a component) "is a long way from becoming a fully fledged premier's department", primarily based on the fact that the prime minister "largely lacks the direct policy responsibilities, either in statute or by convention under the Royal Prerogative, possessed by secretaries of state, who have substantial budgets voted to them by Parliament."

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. Upon Inquiry, however, it appeared that the House was attached to the Treasury as a Part of the Office. That the First Lord of the Treasury occupies it if he thinks proper. 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. 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. You are mistaken in supposing that Mr. Vansittart is the only Chancellor of the Exchequer who, without being first Lord of the Treasury, occupied it. Lord North certainly occupied it during the two years he was Chancellor of the Exchequer only. 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. 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.

• 10 Downing Street en.wikipedia.org

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The secret to visiting #10 Downing Street

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Tourists visiting Washington, DC, invariably want to see the White House. Why not? That’s where the President of the United States lives. In London, England, crowds line up against the fence to get a glimpse of #10 Downing Street, the home of the British Prime Minister. Unless they know the secret to getting a sneak peek, they will never see that prestigious individual. You see, #10 Downing Street may seem an ordinary residence on a (formerly) working class street, but that doesn’t mean you get to walk up and ring the doorbell to say hello.

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While 10 Downing Street appears to be a modest-looking brick terrace house from the outside, there’s more than meets the eye. The original residence, built on the site of a medieval brewery, is a portal leading to over 100 rooms in several houses all connected by a warren of hallways and staircases. The terrace house is the epicentre of British power, with world famous guests arriving regularly. Should you wish to be in attendance at such a moment, don’t expect to stand right in front of the building. The photos you see of #10 in newspapers are taken only by accredited photojournalists.

The secret to visiting #10 Downing Street Back to video

Downing is in the middle of a district of London named Whitehall, where many important government buildings are located. There are two entrances to Downing Street, east and west. Arriving from the west where St. James Park features a lovely lake, you find Downing Street blocked off for security purposes. No entry. Walk south down Horse Guards Road, past the Churchill War Rooms and Her Majesty’s Treasury to Birdcage Walk, which becomes Great George Street as your turn left (west). Proceed to Parliament Street, passing by statues of Winston Churchill and Mahatma Ghandi. (There are even more statues in London than there are museums.)

You may be tempted to walk over to the Parliament Buildings, the House of Commons and the House of Lords, located right behind the iconic clock tower of Big Ben, but first you are on a mission to find #10 Downing. Turn left at Parliament and walk north, passing King Charles Street to your left with the mighty Foreign and Commonwealth Offices looming large. While the sign for Downing Street is rather small, there is usually a large crowd pressing against a tall wrought iron fence, where a single Bobbie (police officer) stands with a clipboard checking off the names of official visitors on a piece of paper, dignitaries that arrive via armoured limos.

If you think this is an innocent instance of casual British security, have an eye beyond the gates to the heavily armed officers carrying automatic weapons. This is where the secret clue to getting a glimpse of #10 Downing comes in, and perhaps a look at the Prime Minister. What you need is a zoom lens on a quality digital camera. You won’t see anything at all using a smart phone from this distance. On the other hand, should you bring a camera armed with a large telephoto lens mounted on it, you may find yourself in the “Clink” (jail) in a jiffy.

Looking through the zoom lens will reveal several very serious looking officers staring you right back in the eye, and they aren’t smiling. Over their shoulders you can see the prestigious passengers stepping out of their limos, off to have a spot of tea with the PM. If there is an important announcement to be made, perhaps the Prime Minister herself will emerge from the ordinary looking terrace house. Now you know the secret to getting a photo, perhaps you will get a peek. Cheers.

Michael McCarthy is a freelance journalist and owner of mccarthy-travels.com.

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You can take a tour of the gardens of Number 10 Downing Street

See if you can spot Rishi in the bushes

Londoners enjoy few things more than taking a snoop around someone else’s gaff. Witness the perennial popularity of Open House Weekend every autumn: the chance to browse (and judge) the interior design choices of hundreds of normally off-limits dwellings and other spaces, guilt- (and step-ladder-) free.

Almost as popular is the annual Open Garden Squares Weekend in June. It offers the opportunity to get into the hundreds of private gardens dotted across the capital, specifically the railed-off and gated leafy glades in some of London’s fanciest residential squares, built at a time when open space was not a big priority for London’s property developers. It was one thing to have a house, but if you had a garden , you were properly god-tier.

Included again this year is the garden of Number 10 Downing Street, aka Rishi’s pad. There are two tours on offer on June 10, both accommodating 24 punters (ie, you). Tickets are allocated by ballot, which is open until April 5.

If your impetus for visiting is horticultural rather than just nosiness, highlights of the half-acre garden include some impressive rose beds commissioned by Mrs Thatcher, a big lawn and a sculpture by renowned artist Dame Barbara Hepworth.

If you do enter the ballot and you are successful, the Downing Street garden tours are free. If you want to visit the others gardens in Open Garden Squares Weekend, you will need the weekend pass .

Open Garden Squares Weekend , Jun 10-11. You can enter the ticket ballot for 10 Downing Street until Apr 5.

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Downing Street

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The History Hit Miscellany of Facts, Figures and Fascinating Finds

10 Downing Street

London, England, United Kingdom

Lily Johnson

01 jan 2021.

About 10 Downing Street

10 Downing Street in London is the traditional residence of the British Prime Minister, and in its 300-year-old history has witnessed some of the country’s most important political decisions. From Winston Churchill to Margaret Thatcher , a host of Britain’s leaders have walked through its iconic black door, and today it is considered one of the most recognisable buildings in the country.

10 Downing Street history

In 1732, Britain’s first Prime Minister Sir Robert Walpole was offered 10 Downing Street as a residence by George II, when it then consisted of 3 separate buildings. Walpole and architect William Kent converted these 3 buildings into a single large one, known collectively by its now-famous address and connected to each other by the Treasury Passage.

Despite its current fame, 10 Downing Street was not a popular choice of residence for Britain’s early Prime Ministers however, and even risked being demolished many times. The 20th century saw its revival when Arthur James Balfour established it as his official residence as Prime Minister in 1902, having already been living there as First Lord of the Treasury.

Since that time, 10 Downing Street has been the location from which Prime Ministers have run the country and entertained heads of state and governments from around the world. 10 Downing Street’s black door hides a warren of offices and state rooms as well as numerous conference rooms, dining rooms, private apartments, kitchens and cellars.

The fates of the First and Second World Wars have been discussed inside, as well as decisions regarding the British Empire, the building of the nuclear bomb, and the creation of the welfare state.

10 Downing Street today

Today 10 Downing Street remains the residence of Britain’s Prime Minister and thus a working governmental building. Though it is not possible to tour 10 Downing Street’s interior, except of course by invitation, the official website has a virtual tour and several audio files detailing the building’s history and that of its residents.

The site’s exterior can be also be seen from its imposing black gates at the end of the street, with tourists often flocking there to snap a photograph of its iconic entrance, thought to be the most photographed door in the country!

In the heart of London, the nearby area also features some of the city’s most-visited sites, with the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey just a 10-minute walk away.

Getting to 10 Downing Street

10 Downing Street is located in Westminster, and can be viewed by the public from the gates on Whitehall. The nearest tube station is Westminster, an 8-minute walk away, while the nearest train station is Charing Cross Station, a 10-minute walk away. A number of bus routes operate to the area, with the nearest stop the Banqueting House or Parliament Square stop, both around a 1-minute walk away.

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Downing Street, Walk London Self-Guided Sightseeing Tour

10 Downing Street

No 10 downing street is the home and official office to the prime minister., the 'house at the back' from horse guards road., downing street is closed to the public., downing street, named after sir george downing, a 17th century developer., visitor infomation.

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I’m with him… An Extra Special Treat!

by Kirsty on February 5, 2014

This weekend I was extremely lucky and got the chance to visit 10 Downing Street!

Just over a year ago I found out that it was a possibility, I came very, very close but got turned away at the last moment. Finally, this weekend everything lined up and I was allowed through those famous gates.

But how I hear you ask?

Nothing to do with me, unfortunately I’m not that important but apparently my stepfather is. For anyone serving in military or police there’s an often unknown perk to the job, You’re able visit Downing street, get a little bit of the history and most importantly get your picture outside the number 10!

And as you can see, you’re able to drag your family along with you…

Kirsty and the famous door 

Interesting facts from my visit:

Shaky foundations

In the 1700’s the property was given as gift to the first prime minister of the United Kingdom. However instead of accepting it in his own name, he accepted it as the prime minister ensuring it stayed part of history forever.

In fact, it’s very lucky that he did accept it this way – it has cost a lot of money over the years to actually keep the house standing. Unfortunately George Downing didn’t take the due care and attention back in 1600. He built the houses on soft soil with very shallow foundations, which meant that the whole road wasn’t the most stable.  Over the years there has been constant renovations, digging down deeper to try and fix the problem.

Supposedly it would have been cheaper to knock down the whole house brick by brick and the rebuild it than what they actually did, but no one wanted to demolish 10 Downing Street.  

What colour are the bricks of Downing Street?

London used to be very smoggy which turned the bricks of Downing Street black, back in the 60s someone decided to power wash the front of 10 and 11 and they discovered that the bricks are a sandy colour…. Can you imagine it?

Neither could the people in government, soon after they painted the exterior black, and the mortar is hand painted silver. They have to do this every ten years now to ensure it stays its old smoggy self.

Downing Street Sign

IRA bombings

Downing street is still counted as a public right of way however in 1982 the Police erected gates to protect one of the most famous addresses in the world. In 1989 the gates we know today were finally put in place.

This did not stop the IRA bombing in 1991. They had planned to throw mortar bombs over the back end of Downing Street. The night before they marked an X on the road where the transit van needed to stop to make sure they bombed the building. Luckily for us it snowed over night and they couldn’t find the X – and stopped a little short. This meant they only bombed the garden!

Finally and most importantly, they have a cat to chase away mice!

{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }

This is so neat! It must have been a great feeling getting to experience a place that isn’t commonly available to the public. I enjoyed reading the facts as well; that’s really neat about how the PM accepted the gift and about the cat, too funny. I just came across your blog and read your about section; you guys are so inspiring! As a bucket list blogger, I will definitely be keeping up with your new adventure plan for 2014 🙂 Christine´s last blog post .. Attend a Wine Tasting & Go to a Vineyard

I was so excited…. and they guy seemed really pleased to show us round 🙂

Thanks for checking out our site and glad you’re enjoying it!

I’m currently serving in the military how did you get access, I’ve heard theres a privit police email address that we can use?

Sgt T Reynolds. Royal Engineers

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How to visit 10 Downing Street in London

After Buckingham Palace, 10 Downing Street comes close to an address in London everyone at least once has heard of . Downing Street is situated in the City of Westminster area of central London, and house number 10 is the official residence and office of the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom or the First Lord of the Treasury . Number 11 is officially the residence of the Chancellor of the Exchequer. The Street was initially built from 1682 – 1684 by Sir George Downing (c. 1624/25 – c. 1684), after whom Downing Street in London (as well as two streets in New York) are named after.

Nowadays, after combining adjacent houses, 10 Downing Street features 100 rooms , a courtyard, a lift, and many other amenities. However, there is no possible way to open the door from the outside; hence there is always someone standing inside to unlock the door if needed. By this, we proceed to answer the vital question: Can you visit 10 Downing Street?

Planing a visit to 10, Downing Street SW1, Westminster, London

As unfortunate as it sounds, but the better for the security of the heads of the British government and their equally important frequent guests, it is not possible to visit 10 Downing Street in London. Unless you are invited, of course 😉 Furthermore, you can not even come close to the famous house itself; there are street barriers in quite a distance away. Indeed, it is possible to have a quick look at the facade of the building, from Whitehall, but that’s about it. This is as close as the public can get. Unless you are a cat, in this case, you are granted special trespassing and an exclusive title , Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland . Larry definitely is a lucky mouser (and, he’s in office since February 2011, impressive!)

Address : 10 Downing St, Westminster, London SW1A 2AA, United Kingdom can be seen from Whitehall, Westminster, London SW1A 2AS, United Kingdom

How to have a look inside 10 Downing Street

But, don’t worry, there still is a way to have a look inside 10 Downing Street. Even though it’s virtual only. Google Arts&Culture has recorded eight rooms, of the approximately 100 rooms, and published those StreetView captures online for everyone to see. How great! Included are the White Room, Staircase, Small and State Dining Room, Cabinet Room, Study – Thatcher Roon, Entrance Hallway, Anteroom and the Garden. Check all of them out here on artsandculture.google.com

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Take a peek inside the gardens at No 10 Downing Street

Mar 1, 2019 • 2 min read

We've caught glimpses of the  garden  at 10 Downing Street in  London  on occasion, mainly because it has been enjoyed by  British  prime ministers and their families for over 285 years.  If you would like to examine the garden attached to the headquarters of the UK Government, currently home to Prime Minister Theresa May, now's your chance, because a public ballot will be held to win the opportunity to go inside the garden and terrace and see it for yourself.

The garden will be open during the Open Garden Squares Weekend 2019 in June. Over 100 green spaces in the UK will open their gates for public enjoyment and discovery during this annual event, many of which are usually closed to the public. Organised by the London Parks and Gardens, the event aims to cultivate knowledge and appreciation of all these landscapes and celebrate their beauty, ecology and value. There will be two tours of the Downing Street garden on Sunday 9 June at 11.30am and 1.30pm, and 24 places are available on each tour.

Constructed in 1736, the garden at 10 Downing Street is dominated by an open lawn of half an acre in size, and there’s a central flowerbed with flower urns. Tubs of flowers line the terrace and roses line the main pathway through the garden. There’s also bird-feeding tables, and a vegetable garden that produces radishes, spring onions, tomatoes and lettuce. The garden also features an attractive bronze sculpture by Barbara Hepworth and some trees.

The garden backs onto Horse Guards Parade and includes a wildlife pond and area created by the BBC’s Blue Peter programme. Ducks have often nested there before mum and ducklings are escorted back to St. James Park. The garden has provided an informal setting for a number of significant gatherings, such as press announcements and social events. In 2011, UK prime minister at the time, David Cameron, and his wife Samantha joined with the-then US  president, Barack Obama, and his wife Michelle in the garden, to provide a barbecue for military personnel.

The Open Garden Squares Weekend 2018 takes place on  8 and 9 June and with the purchase of a weekend ticket, you can explore London’s urban gardens, and enjoy a range of activities and experiences for all the family. For further information, see  here  and to enter the ballot to win a place on one of the 10 Downing Street tours, see  here .

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No 10 downing street.

A snatched glimpse through the railings at the end of the street is as much as you're likely to see these days of the country's most powerful address — No. 10 Downing Street, home of whoever happens to be the current prime minister. The second-most powerful person in the land, the Chancellor of the Exchequer (the finance minister), lives next door at No. 11. There's a connecting door between the two to spare the great officeholders the indignity of having to walk outside whenever they want to talk.

It is not a grand place, certainly not when compared to some of the extravagant residences enjoyed by other heads of state, such as the U.S. White House or France's Elysée Palace. But then, unlike those buildings, it was never designed to be a center of political power, just a simple house on a regular residential street named after the man who built it, George Downing. Its elevation to greatness came about entirely by accident when the country's first prime minister, Robert Walpole, moved here in the early 18th century, once the previous tenant, a Mr. Chicken, had moved out. A precedent had been set and Britain, being a country that likes to make up traditions and norms as it goes along — this is a country, remember, with no written constitution — decided to stick with it. Every prime minister since has followed in Walpole's footsteps, for no other reason than that it seemed the thing to do.

Visitors may not enter or approach the house, which is partly visible through a guarded gate on Whitehall.

Note : This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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London Parks & Gardens

Visit the garden at 10 Downing Street

London Open Gardens is delighted to announce that the garden at Number 10 Downing Street will be opening via a public ballot during London Open Gardens 2024.

There will be two tours on Saturday 8 June 2024 at 11.30am and 1.30pm . 24 places are available on each tour, open to visitors aged 12 and over. Due to high demand, this event can only be applied for by ballot. 

You are not required to purchase a  London Open Gardens ticket to enter the ballot; however, this would grant you access to over 100 usually hidden green spaces open during the weekend. We are grateful that all ticket sales enable the London Parks & Gardens charity to protect such special places throughout the year. 

Please view the Terms and Conditions for more information before you enter the ballot.

About the Garden

Constructed in 1736, the garden is dominated by an open lawn with rose beds commissioned by the late Baroness Thatcher, and is home to a bronze sculpture by Barbara Hepworth. Gardeners will be on hand to answer questions about the half acre site, its wildlife and sustainability.

Terms and Conditions

• Entrants must be over 12 years old. 
• Only one entry per person via this website, but each entry may request one or two tickets.  
• You are not required to purchase a ticket to enter this ballot. You will need to purchase a ticket to gain access the other 100+ usually hidden green spaces taking part in London Open Gardens weekend.
• If selected, you will be offered a place for the tour time you have selected. You will not be able to change your slot.
• Places on the tour are chosen randomly from those who have entered the ballot. 
• The places chosen will be final and no correspondence will be entered into. 
• The ballot is not open to employees of London Parks & Gardens or Downing Street, nor to their relatives. 
• We will not pass your information on to any third parties; however, those selected for a place on the tour will have their details submitted for a basic security check.
• If you are selected for a place on the tour, you must take photographic ID with you (either a Passport or Driving Licence). 
• Up to two places will be allocated per person as requested on the form.
• Places can only be used by the person(s) named in the ballot entry. You may not pass your place on to anyone else or change the names after the form has been submitted. 
• Tours are subject to last-minute cancellation and/or changes in timing, including if a General Election is called. Should this occur, none of the organisers/parties involved can be held liable for any inconvenience or financial loss. 
• Entries to the ballot will close on 7 May 2024 at 11:59pm.
• Selected participants will be notified by email from the LPG office. If you receive a notification you will be given 48 hours to confirm your availability along with necessary security information. Failure to confirm the required details in time may result in the loss of your place on the tour.
• If you don’t hear from us by 22 May, your ballot entry has not been chosen. 

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UK parliament passes Rwanda asylum law as Sunak vows flights will start in weeks

• Medium Text
• PM hopes Rwanda bill will boost his party before election
• Aim is to halt illegal crossings of Channel by migrants
• Upper house had pushed for safeguards to legislation
• Sunak says 'flight will go, come what may'

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Reporting by Elizabeth Piper, Sarah Young, Alistair Smout and Sachin Ravikumar; editing by William James, Angus MacSwan and Gareth Jones

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. New Tab , opens new tab

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Sarah reports on UK breaking news, with a focus on British companies. She has been a part of the UK bureau for 12 years covering everything from airlines to energy to the royals, politics and sport. She is a keen open water swimmer.

A Moroccan man who stabbed to death a passer-by in the street in northeast England in what he later told police was revenge for Israeli action in Gaza was found guilty of murder on Thursday.

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Tabloid publisher says he wrangled with Trump over who should buy sex stories

Former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker testified at Donald Trump's criminal trial on Thursday that he wrangled with Trump and his former lawyer ahead of the 2016 election over who should buy the silence of women who said they had sexual encounters with him.