Dorneywood
Encyclopedia
Dorneywood is a moderately large Queen Anne style
house built in 1920, near Burnham
in the South Bucks District
of Buckinghamshire
, England
. It was given to the National Trust
by Lord Courtauld-Thomson
in 1947 as a country home for a senior member of the Government, usually a Secretary of State
or Minister of the Crown
. The Dorneywood Trust has the objective of 'maintaining the mansion house and gardens of Dorneywood'.
The house was reluctantly taken over by Alistair Darling
, then Chancellor of the Exchequer. If a senior member of the cabinet were not prepared to take control of the house then it would have reverted to control of other senior officials, namely the Mayor of London
or the American Ambassador
. However, given the controversies over John Prescott's use of the house, senior politicians were reluctant to use it.
alone decides which Minister or Secretary of State is to occupy the house. In previous administrations it has been the residence of the Chancellor of the Exchequer
and, prior to May 31, 2006, was occupied by Deputy Prime Minister
John Prescott
. Prescott was forced to relinquish occupancy of Dorneywood, following a series of scandals over an affair with civil servant Tracey Temple and a snatched paparazzi photograph of him playing croquet
on the lawn of the property whilst the Prime Minister Tony Blair
was out of the country on a visit to Washington.
Various former Prime Ministers (before achieving the premiership) have occupied the house, among them Anthony Eden
; he and his wife had disliked the house. However, on becoming Prime Minister, Alec Douglas-Home
was reluctant to forsake the more comfortable and modern Dorneywood for the antique splendours of Chequers
. Another, James Callaghan
as Foreign Secretary, also had the use of Dorneywood (later Chevening
was to become the official country home for the holder of that office). The last person to have lived at the house before becoming Prime Minister was John Major
.
From 2010, George Osborne
will take occupancy of the house.
, as well as paintings and furniture belonging to the Government Art Collection
. There is also furniture belonging to the National Trust. The house is not open to the public.
and kitchen garden
, as well as their herbaceous border
s and rose
displays. The upkeep of the estate is in part supported by the Dorneywood Thomson Endowment Trust Fund.
Queen Anne Style architecture
The Queen Anne Style in Britain means either the English Baroque architectural style roughly of the reign of Queen Anne , or a revived form that was popular in the last quarter of the 19th century and the early decades of the 20th century...
house built in 1920, near Burnham
Burnham, Buckinghamshire
Burnham is a village and civil parish that lies north of the River Thames in the South Bucks District of Buckinghamshire, and sits on the border with Berkshire, between the towns of Maidenhead and Slough. It is served by Burnham railway station in the west of Slough on the main line between London...
in the South Bucks District
South Bucks
South Bucks is one of four local government districts in the non-metropolitan county of Buckinghamshire, in South East England.The district was formed on 1 April 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972, by the amalgamation of the area of Beaconsfield Urban District with part of Eton Rural District...
of Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It was given to the National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
by Lord Courtauld-Thomson
Courtauld Courtauld-Thomson, 1st Baron Courtauld-Thomson
Courtauld Greenwood Courtauld-Thomson, 1st Baron Courtauld-Thomson CB, KBE , known as Courtauld Thomson until 1918 and as Sir Courtauld Thomson between 1918 and 1944, was a British businessman and holder of public and charitable offices.-Background:Born Courtauld Thomson, he was the son of Robert...
in 1947 as a country home for a senior member of the Government, usually a Secretary of State
Secretary of State (United Kingdom)
In the United Kingdom, a Secretary of State is a Cabinet Minister in charge of a Government Department ....
or Minister of the Crown
Minister of the Crown
Minister of the Crown is the formal constitutional term used in the Commonwealth realms to describe a minister to the reigning sovereign. The term indicates that the minister serves at His/Her Majesty's pleasure, and advises the monarch, or viceroy, on how to exercise the Crown prerogatives...
. The Dorneywood Trust has the objective of 'maintaining the mansion house and gardens of Dorneywood'.
The house was reluctantly taken over by Alistair Darling
Alistair Darling
Alistair Maclean Darling is a Scottish Labour Party politician who has been a Member of Parliament since 1987, currently for Edinburgh South West. He served as the Chancellor of the Exchequer from 2007 to 2010...
, then Chancellor of the Exchequer. If a senior member of the cabinet were not prepared to take control of the house then it would have reverted to control of other senior officials, namely the Mayor of London
Mayor of London
The Mayor of London is an elected politician who, along with the London Assembly of 25 members, is accountable for the strategic government of Greater London. Conservative Boris Johnson has held the position since 4 May 2008...
or the American Ambassador
United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom
The office of United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom was traditionally, and still is very much so today due to the Special Relationship, the most prestigious position in the United States Foreign Service...
. However, given the controversies over John Prescott's use of the house, senior politicians were reluctant to use it.
Occupancy of the house
The Prime MinisterPrime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
alone decides which Minister or Secretary of State is to occupy the house. In previous administrations it has been the residence of the Chancellor of the Exchequer
Chancellor of the Exchequer
The Chancellor of the Exchequer is the title held by the British Cabinet minister who is responsible for all economic and financial matters. Often simply called the Chancellor, the office-holder controls HM Treasury and plays a role akin to the posts of Minister of Finance or Secretary of the...
and, prior to May 31, 2006, was occupied by Deputy Prime Minister
Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a senior member of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom. The office of the Deputy Prime Minister is not a permanent position, existing only at the discretion of the Prime Minister, who may appoint to other offices...
John Prescott
John Prescott
John Leslie Prescott, Baron Prescott is a British politician who was Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007. Born in Prestatyn, Wales, he represented Hull East as the Labour Member of Parliament from 1970 to 2010...
. Prescott was forced to relinquish occupancy of Dorneywood, following a series of scandals over an affair with civil servant Tracey Temple and a snatched paparazzi photograph of him playing croquet
Croquet
Croquet is a lawn game, played both as a recreational pastime and as a competitive sport. It involves hitting plastic or wooden balls with a mallet through hoops embedded into the grass playing court.-History:...
on the lawn of the property whilst the Prime Minister Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
was out of the country on a visit to Washington.
Various former Prime Ministers (before achieving the premiership) have occupied the house, among them Anthony Eden
Anthony Eden
Robert Anthony Eden, 1st Earl of Avon, KG, MC, PC was a British Conservative politician, who was Prime Minister from 1955 to 1957...
; he and his wife had disliked the house. However, on becoming Prime Minister, Alec Douglas-Home
Alec Douglas-Home
Alexander Frederick Douglas-Home, Baron Home of the Hirsel, KT, PC , known as The Earl of Home from 1951 to 1963 and as Sir Alec Douglas-Home from 1963 to 1974, was a British Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from October 1963 to October 1964.He is the last...
was reluctant to forsake the more comfortable and modern Dorneywood for the antique splendours of Chequers
Chequers
Chequers, or Chequers Court, is a country house near Ellesborough, to the south of Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire, England, at the foot of the Chiltern Hills...
. Another, James Callaghan
James Callaghan
Leonard James Callaghan, Baron Callaghan of Cardiff, KG, PC , was a British Labour politician, who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1976 to 1979 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1976 to 1980...
as Foreign Secretary, also had the use of Dorneywood (later Chevening
Chevening
Chevening, also known as Chevening House, is a country house at Chevening in the Sevenoaks District of Kent, in England. It is an official residence of the Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom...
was to become the official country home for the holder of that office). The last person to have lived at the house before becoming Prime Minister was John Major
John Major
Sir John Major, is a British Conservative politician, who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1990–1997...
.
From 2010, George Osborne
George Osborne
George Gideon Oliver Osborne, MP is a British Conservative politician. He is the Chancellor of the Exchequer of the United Kingdom, a role to which he was appointed in May 2010, and has been the Member of Parliament for Tatton since 2001.Osborne is part of the old Anglo-Irish aristocracy, known in...
will take occupancy of the house.
Interior
The interior of the house contains some decorations by Rex WhistlerRex Whistler
Reginald John 'Rex' Whistler was a British artist, designer and illustrator.-Biography:Rex Whistler was born in Eltham, Kent, the son of Henry and Helen Frances Mary Whistler...
, as well as paintings and furniture belonging to the Government Art Collection
Government Art Collection
The United Kingdom's Government Art Collection places works of art in major Government buildings in the UK and around the world to promote British art, culture and history....
. There is also furniture belonging to the National Trust. The house is not open to the public.
The grounds
The National Trust markets the property under the name "Dorneywood Garden". The estate consists of the house and 215 acres (87 ha) of parkland, woodland and farmland. The 1930s-style gardens are open to the public by written appointment only on four days a year. The grounds are noted for their cottageCottage garden
The cottage garden is a distinct style of garden that uses an informal design, traditional materials, dense plantings, and a mixture of ornamental and edible plants. English in origin, the cottage garden depends on grace and charm rather than grandeur and formal structure...
and kitchen garden
Kitchen garden
The traditional kitchen garden, also known as a potager, is a space separate from the rest of the residential garden - the ornamental plants and lawn areas...
, as well as their herbaceous border
Herbaceous border
A herbaceous border is a collection of perennial herbaceous plants arranged closely together, usually to create a dramatic effect through colour, shape or large scale. The term herbaceous border is mostly in use in the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth...
s and rose
Rose
A rose is a woody perennial of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae. There are over 100 species. They form a group of erect shrubs, and climbing or trailing plants, with stems that are often armed with sharp prickles. Flowers are large and showy, in colours ranging from white through yellows...
displays. The upkeep of the estate is in part supported by the Dorneywood Thomson Endowment Trust Fund.
See also
- ChequersChequersChequers, or Chequers Court, is a country house near Ellesborough, to the south of Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire, England, at the foot of the Chiltern Hills...
, The Prime MinisterPrime ministerA prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
's official country retreat. - CheveningCheveningChevening, also known as Chevening House, is a country house at Chevening in the Sevenoaks District of Kent, in England. It is an official residence of the Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom...
, The Foreign Secretary's official country retreat. - List of official residences