Chevening

Chevening House
Chevening is located in Kent
Chevening
Chevening
Location within Kent
Chevening is located in England
Chevening
Chevening
Chevening (England)
General information
StatusCompleted
TypeCountry house
LocationChevening, Kent
Coordinates51°17′56″N 0°07′53″E / 51.2990°N 0.1314°E / 51.2990; 0.1314
Construction started1617
OwnerThe Chevening Trust
References
Listed Building – Grade I
Official nameChevening House
Designated10 September 1954
Reference no.1085853
Official nameChevening
Designated26 August 1988
Reference no.1000258
GradeII*

Chevening House (/ˈvnɪŋ/) is a large country house in the parish of Chevening in Kent, England. Built between 1617 and 1630 to a design reputedly by Inigo Jones and greatly extended after 1717, it is a Grade I listed building.[1] The surrounding gardens, pleasure grounds and park are listed Grade II*.[2]

Formerly the principal seat of the earls Stanhope, the house and estate are owned and maintained at the expense of the trust of the Chevening Estate, under the Chevening Estate Act 1959[3] (amended 1987), to serve as a furnished country residence for a person nominated by the prime minister, so qualified by being a member of the Cabinet or a descendant of King George VI. The nominee pays for their own private living expenses when in residence but government departments arrange and effect official business at the estate.[4] Chevening House is not an official residence, but has been traditionally used by the Foreign Secretary.[5]

  1. ^ Historic England. "Chevening House (1085853)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  2. ^ Historic England. "Chevening House (1000258)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  3. ^ Chevening Estate Act 1959 (1959 Chapter 49 7 and 8 Eliz 2)
  4. ^ Newman, Aubrey (1969). The Stanhopes of Chevening. Macmillan.
  5. ^ "Dominic Raab and Liz Truss agree to share 115-room mansion". BBC News. 13 October 2021.