Admiralty House, London

Admiralty House in London building facing Whitehall, currently used for UK government functions and as ministerial flats. It is a Grade I listed building.[2]

Admiralty House
The Music Room of Admiralty House
The Music Room of Admiralty House
Admiralty House, London is located in Central London
Admiralty House, London
General information
LocationWestminster
AddressWhitehall
Town or cityLondon, SW1
CountryUnited Kingdom
Coordinates51°30′19.8″N 0°7′38.64″W
Construction started1786
Completed1788[1]
ClientFirst Lord of the Admiralty
OwnerHis Majesty's Government
Technical details
Floor count3
Design and construction
Architect(s)Samuel Pepys Cockerell[1]
Awards and prizesGrade I listed building

Description

Admiralty House is a four-storey building of yellow brick. The front has a symmetrical facade of three broad bays and one additional small bay at the southern end. The rear facade is of five bays and faces Horse Guards Parade, with a basement-level exit under the corner of the Old Admiralty Building. The front of the house faces Whitehall. It is accessed from the older Ripley Building, to which it is connected.[2]

History

Admiralty House was constructed on the site of two seventeenth century houses; Walsingham House, the London residence of Lady Walsingham, and Pickering House, residence of Sir Gilbert Pickering.[1]

Admiralty House was designed by Samuel Pepys Cockerell, a protégé of Sir Robert Taylor, and opened in 1788.[2] Built at the request of Admiral of the Fleet Viscount Howe, First Lord of the Admiralty, in 1782–83 for "a few small rooms of my own", it was the official residence of First Lord of the Admiralty until 1964, and has also been home to several British Prime Ministers when 10 Downing Street was being renovated.[3]

Winston Churchill lived in the house while serving as First Lord of the Admiralty for two terms, 1911–15 and 1939–40. It now contains government function rooms and three ministerial flats.[4]

The interior of Admiralty House is decorated in its original style. Depicted is the Music Room.

References
  1. "Admiralty House". Survey of London. University of London. Retrieved 8 May 2010. The present building was erected in 1786–8 from the designs of Samuel Pepys Cockerell, Surveyor to the Board of Admiralty, and a pupil of Sir Robert Taylor.
  2. Historic England. "Grade I (1267114)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 5 June 2009.
  3. "Open House – Going inside Admiralty House". Ian Mansfield. 19 September 2017. ISSN 2753-7846. Retrieved 9 September 2022.
  4. Parliament — Ministerial Residences (21 July 2016,PDF) from the UK Parliament website
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