| Summary : Down House was the home of Charles Darwin from 1842 until his death in 1882. Originally built as a farmhouse in 1788 the Darwin family bought the property in 1842 and subsequently enlarged it and carried out various alterations. After Charles Darwin's death in April 1882 Down House became the summer home for his widow until her death in 1896. The house was then let out as a private residence and in 1907 it was let as a school. In 1927 the property was put up for sale and the British Association for the Advancement of Science bought the site as a memorial to Darwin. Down House was opened to the public in June 1929 and in 1952 the property was purchased by the Royal College of Surgeons. In May 1996 Down House was sold to English Heritage, in whose ownership it remains and it has been preserved as a historical house and museum. Down House is a three storey stuccoed building with a slate roof. The house consists of a central main block with two wings. Between 1843 and 1846 substantial work was carried out on the house and the north-west wing which contains Darwin's study was added in 1858. Down House was Darwin's home for forty years, and the house and grounds were where Darwin took inspiration for and developed his theories of evolution. From his new study Darwin worked on the scientific theories that first scandalized and then revolutionized the Victorian world, culminating in the publication of one of the most significant books of the century, "On the Origin of Species by means of Natural Selection", in 1859. The house is now owned by English Heritage and has been preserved as a historic house and museum with displays on the life and work of Charles Darwin. To celebrate the bicentenary of Darwin's birth, a new exhibition has been developed at Down House and opened to the public in 2009. |
More information : (TQ 43156115). Down House. (1)
Downe House.
This house would be Grade II on architectural grounds but is Grade I for historical associations. It was occupied by Charles Darwin from 1842-1882. "The Origin of the Species" was written here, and Darwin died in the house on the 19 April 1882. Now a museum Darwin's study is preserved as far as possible as it was in his day. The building consists of a main block and two wings. The main block dates from the early 19th century and is three storeys high with five windows. It is stuccoed and has a wide eaved cornice with a hipped slate roof. The windows have segmental heads and the glazing bars are missing. The South-East wing is gabled and probably older in date than the main block. It has a stuccoed front and is two storeys high with two windows. There is also a round-headed window and an attic window in the gable. The North-West wing is a mid-late Cl9 addition built by Charles Darwin and contained his study. It has a cemented front and is two storeys high with three windows but attached to it is an early 19th century block and verandah.
A tablet recording with the inscription: "Here Darwin thought and worked for forty years and died 1882" is inset in the front garden wall facing the road.
Please note the designation description spells Down House as Downe House. (2)
Down House was built in 1788 for George Butler but may have earlier origins. Rev James Drummond lived there in 1840 and it is recorded that Drummond owned 6.5 hectares of land. A contemporary Tithe map shows a large field, Home Meadow, a small area of pleasure ground near to the house, and a long narrow enclosure named as 'garden' to the south-west. In 1842 Down House and seven hectares of land were purchased for Charles Darwin by his father. Between 1843 and 1846 substantial work was carried out on the house and gardens. The house was enlarged with the addition of a bay on the west side in 1845, the service wing to the south in 1846, and the north-west wing, which contains Darwin's study, in 1858. The verandah was added to the garden side of the north-west wing in 1872.
After Charles Darwin's death in April 1882 Down House became the summer home for his widow. After her death in 1896 the family let the house, first as a private residence and then in 1907 to Miss Willis who established Downe House School. In 1922 Miss Willis' school moved to Newbury, but Downe House continued to be used as a school. In 1927 the property was put up for sale and Sir Keith Howard, then president of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, proposed that the site should be preserved as a memorial to Darwin. The funds were provided by Sir George Buckston Browne and Down House was opened to the public in June 1929. Alterations to the house and garden are attributed to this phase of occupation. In 1952 the property was offered to the Royal College of Surgeons, who in May 1996 sold it to English Heritage, in whose ownership it remains (1998).
This source provides detailed information on Down House and its gardens. Please refer to the site for further information. (3)
Darwin lived at Down House for 40 years and it was here that he researched and wrote his most famous and explosive of works, On the Origin of Species. The website provides information on Darwin, Down House and gardens as well as a virtual tour of his study and general visitor information. Please refer to the source for further information. (4)
Down House has been maintained as a historic house and houses an important exhibition on the life and works of Charles Darwin. The ground floor rooms have been recreated as they appeared when Charles Darwin lived there with his wife Emma (of the Wedgwood family) and their children. The rooms include his study where Darwin wrote his books as well as the Drawing Room, Billiard Room and Dining Room which all contain many original features and fittings as well as personal items belonging to the Darwin family. Darwin's gardens and "outdoor laboratory" are also on display. (5)
On January 30th the Department for Culture, Media and Sport put forward Darwin's Landscape Laboratory to UNESCO as the UK's 2009 World Heritage Site nomination. The nomination is based on how the Cudham and Downe valleys, woods, meadows, high ground, bogs, as well as the gardens and greenhouse at Down House provided the raw resources for Darwin's observations and scientific experiments. Darwin used his house as his scientific laboratory and developed his many scientific theories there, the most important of which is evolution by natural selection. (6)
Darwin moved to Down House in September 1842 and lived here for 40 years until he died in 1882. He bought the house and 18 acre estate for just over 2000 pounds from the vicar of Downe. The house is now owned by English Heritage and includes Darwin's restored study, gardens and greenhouses. Nearby is the Sandwalk which Darwin referred to as his "thinking path". Darwin at Downe has been proposed as a World Heritage Site and includes Down House and grounds, the nearby villages of Downe and Cudham, and the surrounding countryside (Downe Bank, Keston Bogs and Pond and High Elms) which were Darwin's open-air laboratory where he studied the local fauna and flora whilst developing his theory of evolution by natural selection. (7)
National Grid Reference TQ4315361149 (centroid of the object) identified by digital ordnance survey mapping. (8)
The lawn of Down House Gardens contains rare grassland fungi, and this is the main reason why the garden has been designated a Site of Nature Conservation Interest by the Kent Wildlife Trust. The Site of Nature and Conservation Interest system was changed to the Greater London Authority system in 2000 and the whole site at Down House and gardens is now designated as a Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation (designation by the London Borough of Bromley).
This website contains a lot of information on Darwin including details on Bromley's Discover Darwin program of outreach activities, education and training. (9)
In recognition of the bicentenary of Darwin's birth, a new exhibition opened at Down House in 2009.
This guidebook contains detailed historical information about Down House, the gardens and the work of Charles Darwin. It contains current and historical photographs as well as images of artwork and objects on display to visitors. Please see source for further information. (10)
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