Dover House Scottish Office

DOVER HOUSE, HORSE GUARDS PARADE SW1

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Overview

Heritage Category:
Listed Building
Grade:
I
List Entry Number:
1066101
Date first listed:
05-Feb-1970
List Entry Name:
Dover House Scottish Office
Statutory Address:
DOVER HOUSE, HORSE GUARDS PARADE SW1
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Date:
2001-09-12
Reference:
IOE01/05559/19
Rights:
© Mr Stephen Hodgson. Source: Historic England Archive

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:
Listed Building
Grade:
I
List Entry Number:
1066101
Date first listed:
05-Feb-1970
List Entry Name:
Dover House Scottish Office
Statutory Address 1:
DOVER HOUSE, HORSE GUARDS PARADE SW1
Statutory Address 2:
DOVER HOUSE, WHITEHALL SW1
Statutory Address 3:
SCOTTISH OFFICE, HORSE GUARDS PARADE SW1
Statutory Address 4:
SCOTTISH OFFICE, WHITEHALL SW1

The scope of legal protection for listed buildings

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

The scope of legal protection for listed buildings

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

Location

Statutory Address:
DOVER HOUSE, HORSE GUARDS PARADE SW1
Statutory Address:
DOVER HOUSE, WHITEHALL SW1
Statutory Address:
SCOTTISH OFFICE, HORSE GUARDS PARADE SW1
Statutory Address:
SCOTTISH OFFICE, WHITEHALL SW1

The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.

County:
Greater London Authority
District:
City of Westminster (London Borough)
Parish:
Non Civil Parish
National Grid Reference:
TQ 30093 80028

Details

TQ 3080 SW CITY OF WESTMINSTER WHITEHALL SW1 83/84 (West side) 5.2.70 Dover House (Scottish Office) GV I Former mansion, now government offices. 1755-58, by James Paine for Sir Matthew Featherstonhaugh, enlarged for the Duke of York in 1787 by Henry Holland who provided a new porticoed forebuilding with entrance hall on the site of Paine's forecourt, rebuilt the west front and redecorated some of interiors. Portland stone, slate roof. Restrained, elegant Palladian design by Paine with very sophisticated Parisian neo-Classical screen by Holland. 3 storeys and dormered hipped roof. 5 windows wide. The Whitehall front has low single storey wings with pediments facing north and south, concealed by Holland's screen. This consists of a central tetrastyle Greek Ionic columned, pedimented portico projecting over pavement, the flanking recessed sections of fine ashlar rusticated screen wall with entablature broken forward over 4 free-standing columns of the same order, surmounted by neo-classical vases; the entablature and balustraded parapet are carried across over the similarly rusticated blind end walls of the wings. Horse Guards Parade front, with rusticated ground floor, has a 3 storey one window south extension to its 5 bay front; recessed glazing bar sashes, those on 1st floor pedimented and the central window of Venetian pattern set in semi- circular arched recess. Continuous iron balcony to 1st floor. Modillion crowning cornice and balustraded parapet. Holland's Whitehall portico leads, via vestibule, into circular saucer-domed hall encircled by Tuscan pink marble columns on drum pedestals and lit by lantern; staircase with bowed and segmental steps, rises from the centre into Paine's house; behind west front,on 1st floor, the north room retains compartmented Paine ceiling, the south room a c.1840 Italianate ceiling; on ground floor central room has delicate, painted Etruscan- Raphaelesque decoration a la Bélanger, and the flanking rooms,with screens, all part of Holland's refurbishment; good chimneypieces, etc. Survey of London; vol XIV The Life and Work of James Paine; Peter Leach Henry Holland; Dorothy Stroud

Listing NGR: TQ3009380028

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:
207597
Legacy System:
LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Stroud, D, Henry Holland His Life and Architecture, (1966)
Leach, P, The Life and Work of James Paine, (1988)
Survey of London in The Parish of St Margaret Westminster Part 3 Neighbourhood of Whitehall Volume 2:Volume 14 , Vol. 14, (1931)

Legal

This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.

Ordnance survey map of Dover House Scottish Office

Map

This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 12-Jun-2026 at 21:18:06.

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© Crown copyright [and database rights] 2026. OS AC0000815036. Use of this mapping is subject to Terms and Conditions.

End of official list entry

All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.

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