Somerset House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Somerset House |
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Courtyard of Somerset House from the North Wing entrance (September 2007)
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| General information | |
| Architectural style | Neoclassical |
| Location | Strand London, WC2 |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Current tenants | Multiple |
| Construction started | 1776 |
| Cost | £462,323 (1801) |
| Landlord | Somerset House Trust |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Sir William Chambers |
| Designations | Grade I listed building |
Somerset House is a huge and beautiful building in central London, right by the River Thames. It's known for its Neoclassical style, which means it looks a bit like ancient Greek or Roman buildings.
This grand building was started in 1776. It stands where an older Tudor palace used to be. The current Somerset House was designed by a famous architect named Sir William Chambers. Over time, more parts were added, making it even bigger.
Originally, Somerset House was built to hold many government offices and public groups. Today, it's a lively place full of arts and education organizations.
Contents
The First Somerset House
A Royal Home (1500s-1700s)
In the 1500s, the Strand area by the River Thames was a popular spot for rich people to build their large homes. In 1539, Edward Seymour started building a grand palace here. He was a powerful duke and uncle to the young King Edward VI.
Sadly, the Duke of Somerset was removed from power and executed before his palace was finished. The building then became property of the Crown. Later, Queen Elizabeth I lived there before she became queen.
In the 1600s, Somerset House became a home for royal wives. Anne of Denmark, wife of King James I, lived there and made many fancy improvements. She even had a special fountain built with a statue of Pegasus, a winged horse.
Later, Henrietta Maria of France, wife of King Charles I, lived there. She had a Catholic chapel built, as she was Catholic. During the English Civil War, the palace was used by the Parliament's army. Even Oliver Cromwell, a very important leader at the time, had his body lie in state there after he died.
After the Civil War, Catherine of Braganza, wife of King Charles II, used Somerset House. Over time, the building became less important to the royals and started to fall into disrepair. By 1775, the old Somerset House was being taken down.
The New Somerset House (1776)=
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In the mid-1700s, people felt London needed more grand public buildings. Government offices were scattered in old, small places. So, in 1775, Parliament decided to build a large new public building at Somerset House.
Sir William Chambers, a famous architect, was chosen to design this new building. He spent the last 20 years of his life working on it. One of his students, Thomas Hardwick, helped build parts of it.
Building Design
Chambers designed the new Somerset House in the Palladian style, which is all about balance and classical beauty. The building was shaped around a large courtyard, about 300 feet long and 200 feet wide. It had a grand front facing the River Thames.
Each part of the building around the courtyard had six floors. These floors housed different public offices and learned societies. The upper floors often had living spaces for important officials. There were also large vaults underground to store important government papers.
Construction Details
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The part of the building facing the Strand was built first. By 1780, it was finished. The riverside part was completed in 1786. Back then, the Thames river came right up to the building, and boats could even go into a special archway to drop people off!
Work continued on the other parts, and by 1790, the main courtyard was complete. However, a war with France slowed down the rest of the building work. Sir William Chambers died in 1796, and another architect, James Wyatt, took over. By 1801, the building was mostly finished, costing a lot of money for that time: £462,323.
Art and Decorations
Chambers made sure Somerset House looked amazing with many sculptures and decorations. Famous artists like Giovanni Cipriani and sculptors like Joseph Wilton created beautiful pieces. In the main courtyard, you can see a bronze statue group of Neptune (the sea god) and King George III.
Inside, some of the important rooms had painted ceilings by artists like Benjamin West and Angelica Kauffman. These artistic touches made the public spaces very grand.
Who Used Somerset House?
One main reason for building Somerset House was to give a home to many important groups and government offices.
Arts and Learning Groups
The North Wing of Somerset House was first used by the Royal Academy, the Royal Society (a group for scientists), and the Society of Antiquaries (a group for history experts). The Royal Academy held its famous annual art exhibition here from 1780.
Other groups like the Geological Society (for geology) and the Royal Astronomical Society (for astronomy) also moved in later. Over time, these groups moved to other locations, but Somerset House remained a place for learning and creativity.
In 1789, the Navy Board, which managed the Royal Navy, moved into the grand riverside rooms. Other navy departments also moved into the West Wing. This meant that about one-third of the new Somerset House was used by the Navy! Important exams for navy officers also took place here.
By 1873, all the navy staff moved out of Somerset House to another building.
Taxes and Stamps
From the very beginning, Somerset House was involved with money and taxes. The Stamp Office and the Tax Office were here. The Stamp Office made sure that a special stamp was put on certain items, like newspapers, to show that a tax had been paid. The Tax Office collected various taxes, including income tax.
The Inland Revenue (which handles taxes) continued to use Somerset House for a very long time, even into the 2000s. In 2013, they finally moved out, ending a 224-year connection with the building.
Births, Marriages, and Deaths Registry
From 1837, the office that kept all the birth, marriage, and death certificates for England and Wales was in Somerset House. This important office stayed there for over 130 years, until 1970.
Other Offices
Many other government offices were also located in Somerset House over the years. These included offices for licensing horse-drawn taxis, managing the national lottery, and keeping important historical records.
Later Changes and Uses
Even after Chambers died, Somerset House continued to grow. King's College London was built next to it between 1829 and 1834, designed to match Chambers' original plans. Later, a "New Wing" was added between 1851 and 1856 to provide more office space for the Inland Revenue.
World War II Damage
During World War II, Somerset House was hit by bombs during the London Blitz. Parts of the South Wing were completely destroyed, including a beautiful staircase called the Nelson Stair. It took many years to repair the damage, which was finally finished in 1952.
A Centre for Arts and Culture
In 1997, the Somerset House Trust was created. This group's job is to look after the building and turn it into a lively place for arts and culture.
The Courtauld Institute of Art, which has an amazing collection of Impressionist paintings, moved into the North Wing in 1989.
Somerset House Today
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The main courtyard, which used to be a car park, has been beautifully redone and is now open to the public. You can see dancing fountains there, with 55 jets of water shooting up to different heights!
In the winter, the courtyard turns into a very popular ice rink. It's even been shown in movies like Love Actually.
The courtyard is also a great place for concerts. Every July, a "Summer series" of music events takes place, featuring different artists.
Today, Somerset House is home to over a hundred different groups, mostly creative businesses and artists. King's College London also has parts of its university in the East Wing.
Filming Location
Somerset House is a very popular place for filming movies and TV shows. Its grand exterior has appeared in many big Hollywood films, including:
- Two James Bond movies: GoldenEye (1995) and Tomorrow Never Dies (1997).
- Action-comedies like Shanghai Knights (2003) with Jackie Chan and King Ralph (1991).
- Historical dramas like The Duchess (2008).
- Several Sherlock Holmes films, including the 2009 movie starring Robert Downey Jr..
- The horror film Sleepy Hollow (1999) and the Bollywood film Jab Tak Hai Jaan (2012).
- Even the tunnels under Somerset House were used for some scenes in the Harry Potter movies, looking like 'Diagon Alley'.
It was also the main location for the BBC's New Year Live TV show in 2006.
Gallery
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Somerset House in 1817, showing how the Thames originally flowed directly past the building, before the construction of the Victoria Embankment
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The Strand façade of Chambers' Somerset House and the church of St Mary-le-Strand, shown in a view of 1836
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Courtyard view of the South and West wings in 1864.
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The riverfront of Somerset House today, seen from the Victoria Embankment.
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The Strand façade today.
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Courtyard view of the East and South wings today.
See also
In Spanish: Somerset House para niños
