A ballroom, two dining rooms and a three-bedroom apartment are all contained within the property.

Although Mr Gove has never occupied one of Whitehall’s four ‘great offices of state’ – No 10, No 11, Foreign Office and Home Office – he is widely seen as one of the most powerful figures in the Government.

During Boris Johnson’s most recent Cabinet reshuffle last September he was tipped to take over as Home Secretary from Priti Patel but was instead appointed to his current role.

Alongside his other responsibilities, of ‘levelling up’ the North the job involves attempting to bring greater prosperity to some of the poorest parts of the country.