Bygone Chapters of Sir Robert Walpole’s Study

Step inside Houghton’s Library, and you enter the private space of Sir Robert Walpole, Britain’s first de facto prime minister. This room, designed by William Kent, served as Walpole’s personal study, and remains remarkably preserved, offering a rare window into the life and work of one of the 18th century’s most influential political figures. Visitors today can almost feel Walpole’s presence, as they soak up the atmosphere where history was shaped.

Houghton’s Library was more than just a room filled with books. It was Walpole’s sanctuary, a place where he crafted policies and corresponded with the monarch. The centerpiece is his mahogany desk, custom-made for his use and still positioned exactly where it was three centuries ago. Writing materials lie ready, as if Walpole has just stepped away briefly, and one can imagine him reclining on his day bed by the window.

The shelves lining the walls hold around 1,200 volumes, leather-bound and carefully preserved. These books belonged not only to Sir Robert Walpole but also to his father, Colonel Robert Walpole, and his maternal grandfather, Sir Geoffrey Burwell. The collection spans a wide range of subjects:

• Latin classics

• History

• Law

• Theology

• Architecture

• Encyclopedias

• Flora and fauna

  
  

Sir Robert’s own books have goatskin bindings, chosen for durability and ease of dyeing.

Above the fireplace hangs a striking portrait of King George I, under whom Walpole served from 1715 to 1727, though his most significant period as de factor prime minister began in 1721. The King’s native tongue was German, and he was fluent in French, but Walpole did not speak German and French only haltingly. Their solution was to converse in Latin, despite neither being fluent in it.

"George I could speak no English, and Walpole no German; so they compromised the matter by conversing in very bad Latin, of which they were both masters." Walter Bagehot, The English Constitution, 1867.

Returned to Lender - 288 years late!

One quirky story connected to Houghton’s Library involves a book which is recorded in The Guinness Book of World Records’ as the most overdue library book!

Scriptores Rerum Germanicarum Septentrionalium, Vicinorum que Populorum Diversi (1609), which translates to Writers of Northern Germanic Affairs, Neighbours and Different Peoples, was borrowed by Colonel Robert Walpole from Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, between 1667 and 1668.

It was rediscovered at Houghton by Dr John H Plumb, a historian researching Sir Robert Walpole’s biography and, at the suggestion of the Fifth Marquess, he returned it in 1956: 288 years after it was borrowed.

• There is a great deal more to see in the Library, a little room with a big history, and our house attendants are always happy to point out the many interesting features and answer your questions to help you get the best from your time here.