Winfield House in London, the US ambassador’s residence and longtime venue for presidential hospitality
The Regent’s Park mansion, set on grounds the size of seven football pitches, has hosted presidents, state dinners and large Independence Day parties while remaining largely private and tightly secured.
President Donald Trump spent the first night of his state visit to the United Kingdom at Winfield House, the official residence of the US ambassador in central London, underscoring the mansion’s continuing role as a focal point for American diplomatic hospitality in Britain.
Set on land described as the size of seven football pitches within Regent’s Park, the 35-room Winfield House is used both as a private home for the ambassador and as a venue for state dinners, summits and large receptions. The property has frequently accommodated US presidents and first families on state visits; past occupants for official evenings have included the Trumps in 2019 as well as the Bidens and Obamas.
The mansion’s lawns and paved walkways have hosted headline concerts, Independence Day celebrations and high-profile receptions. This year’s Fourth of July event featured Nile Rodgers & Chic performing before thousands, while previous years have seen acts ranging from Ed Sheeran to the Foo Fighters, and fashion and sporting figures among the guests. According to former head gardener Stephen Crisp, who worked at Winfield for 37 years, the 4 July parties typically drew 3,000 to 4,000 people.
Winfield’s history stretches back to the 19th century. The original building on the site, once called St Dunstan’s and associated with veterans of the First World War, was replaced and substantially rebuilt after a fire in the early 20th century. Socialite Barbara Hutton bought the property in the 1930s, rebuilt it in the red-brick Georgian style that stands today and in 1946 sold it to the United States government for a symbolic one dollar. President Harry S. Truman called the gift “most generous and patriotic.”
During the Second World War the grounds were used by the Royal Air Force’s balloon barrage unit. After the war the US government repaired and converted the property for use as the ambassador’s residence. Over subsequent decades the house became a venue for summits and memorable diplomatic moments: President Dwight D. Eisenhower hosted wartime leaders there in 1959, and the former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and President George H.W. Bush addressed reporters from the mansion during the 1991 G7 summit.
Winfield’s grounds are among the largest private gardens in central London and are equipped to accommodate helicopters, an attribute that has been useful during presidential visits. “It’s not just the home of the ambassador, but it’s also a centre of diplomatic hospitality,” Crisp said. The property’s seclusion is notable: the house is set back within woodland and cannot be seen from the adjacent road.
Security arrangements at Winfield are robust and tightly controlled. Visitors and event attendees typically require prior clearance. Viv Ward, events manager for the Friends of Regent’s Park, said access to the grounds is limited and that tours, when granted, allow only the ground-floor reception rooms and the gardens to be seen. "It wasn't a case of we would like to come on this date and this time. It was just, you will be allowed to come here on this day," Ward said, describing the scheduling constraints tied to the residence’s dual role as a private home and an official venue.
The house has hosted a wide range of gatherings beyond state occasions. First ladies have led sports days and garden events; fashion weeks and designer receptions have taken place in its rooms; and sporting communities, including Invictus Games participants, have been welcomed. Guests have included royals such as the Prince of Wales and entertainment and fashion figures. The variety of events has helped make Winfield a distinctive element of US-UK social and diplomatic life in London.
Despite its public-facing role, Winfield is not a tourist attraction. Tours are rare and subject to permission from the ambassador; access is typically limited to organised visits and official functions. Staff and former employees describe a daily routine shaped by security protocols, event logistics and the maintenance of the extensive grounds.
The residence’s driveway is comparatively modest, and the mansion’s privacy belies its central location. For decades, Winfield has combined domestic living quarters for the ambassador with facilities for hosting large and often high-security gatherings, a dual function that has made it central to many ceremonial and diplomatic moments between the United States and the United Kingdom.