Chevening House

About this place

Chevening House was built between 1617 and 1630, its design reputedly by Inigo Jones, in the parish of Chevening near Sevenoaks in Kent.

It is thought to be the earliest known example of a compact double-pile house in England.

The house is Grade I listed and its surrounding pleasure grounds are Grade II*.

Only the gardens are open to visitors, and Chevening is a member property of Historic Houses.

History

The Lennard family first built a house on the site around 1630, which was greatly extended after 1717 into the mansion later shaped by seven generations of the Stanhope family, who held Chevening as earls Stanhope for around 250 years. When the Stanhope line ended, the 7th Earl gave the estate to the nation, and the Chevening Estate Act of 1959, amended in 1987, established it as a furnished country residence for a Cabinet minister nominated by the Prime Minister. It has traditionally been used by the Foreign Secretary.

Architecture

Traditionally attributed to Inigo Jones, the house is considered the earliest known compact double-pile design in England, with substantial additions carried out under the Stanhope family after 1717.

Worth knowing

Chevening has served as a country retreat for Foreign Secretaries and other senior Cabinet ministers nominated by the Prime Minister, giving it a direct and continuing role in modern government life.

Gardens & grounds

The 40 acres of pleasure grounds include a lake, maze, parterre and a double hexagonal walled kitchen garden, set within a wider estate of some 3,000 acres between Sevenoaks and Biggin Hill.