Somerset House, London

Somerset House, London
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Somerset_House.jpg
Author: Jan van der Crabben


Somerset House is a large building on the south side of The Strand, overlooking the River Thames. The central block is a neoclassical style building, designed by Sir William Chambers from 1776-96. The north and south wings are in the Victorian style. It stands in the place of an earlier building of the same name, which was built by Edward Seymour, the Duke of Somerset, in 1549.

In the mid 18th century, there was growing criticism that London had no great public buildings. Government departments were huddled away in small old buildings all over the city. With growing national pride came comparison with other European capitals disquieting. There was a call for the government to build a national building that the nation can be proud of. In 1775 Parliament passed an Act to erect such a public building on the site of Somerset House. At that time, the Somerset House built by Edward Seymour had become a run down building owned by the Crown.

360° View of Somerset House on Google Maps Street View

The old Somerset House was demolished that year. Sir William Chambers, the Surveyor-General of Works, was appointed, at a salary of 2000 pounds per annum, to design and build the new Somerset House. He was to spent the next two decades of his life on this project, begun in 1775. The North Wing that fronts the Strand was completed in 1780, but by the time Chambers died in 1796, the building was still not finished. The work was taken over by James Wyatt. By 1819, it was reported that final touches were still being put to it. The whole building probably cost about half a million pounds.

Although it was already truly magnificent, it was below Chamber's intention, for it was without the east and west wings he had planned. Cost was the inhibiting factor. It was only in 1856 that a further wing was erected. Today, after 150 years, it was still known, in a very British way, as the new wing.

Somerset House, riverside entrance
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Somerset_House_riverside_entrance_2.jpg
Author: Man vyi


During the Second World War, Somerset House sustained some damaged. The repairs were only completed in the 1950s.

Government departments were and continued to be the main occupants of Somerset House. The main tenant of the new Somerset House were the Stamp Office and the Tax Office. These two Offices merged with the Excise Department, evolved to became Inland Revenue in 1849, and were the largest occupier of the building. The North Wing was open to public use from the 1970s.

Inland Revenue eventually merged in 2005 with HM Customs and Excise. Its successor HM Revenue & Customs remain the occupants of Somerset House. Various divisions and Directorates of HMRC (most notably the Solicitor's Office) currently occupy the east, west and new wings. In 2004 it was proposed that the newly-proposed Supreme Court of the United Kingdom be housed in the New Wing, but in the end, Middlesex Guildhall because the choice instead.

Somerset House
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Somerset_House_riverside_fa%C3%A7ade_columns.jpg
Author: Man vyi


10,000 fleurs d'Argile at Somerset House
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Somerset_House#mediaviewer/File:Somerset_House_-_Fernando_Casasempere_North.jpg
Author: Patrice78500

Getting there

Address: Strand WC2R 0RN
Tel: 020 7845 4600 (pre-recorded info)
Opening hours: 10:00am - 6:00pm
Entrance fee: free
Nearest Tube Station: Temple (closed Sundays), Covent Garden, Holborn, Blackfriars
Buses: 9, 11, 15, 23, 91
Boat pier: Embankment
Restaurants: Admiralty