Home of Charles Darwin - Down House

One of the Best Places To Visits in Downe Frequently mentioned in reviews: Top-rated.online cuts through the clutter, highlighting only the reviews that are most helpful, earn the most likes, or come from the most active contributors. It was here that Darwin conceived his theory of evolution by natural selection, conducted extensive scientific experiments, and wrote On the Origin of Species. He conducted experiments with plants in the greenhouse and grew experimental beds in the kitchen garden. He also used the lawn to study earthworms and the adjacent woods for observation. Absolutely amazing, the audio tour is a must, one of English Heritages best sites. Charles Darwin’s of 40 years, now an English Heritage property with a great exhibition, few lived in rooms, and extensive gardens. Allow at least an hour, plus additional time if wanting to read signs more extensively, go on a longer walk, or enjoy the cafe. We spent about 40-45 minutes upstairs in the five - three exhibition covering his life, expedition in his 20s to the southern hemisphere (HMS Beagle), and learning more about his family and how he came to write On the Origin of Species. These had nice signage, notebooks and objects from his journeys, a nice wall map of his five-year travel with quotes, and other details from his life. The remaining two were his bedroom and info about the Darwin Family in the former nursery or schoolroom. Downstairs includes the dining room, billiards room, office, and lounge/seating area. It can be seen quickly, or take a few minutes with the provided audio guide from the front. Gardens are extensive. My favourite part was the gardening shed, as had a live beehive could look into plus some additional information about the plants. (Don’t worry the beehive is safe- they just used glass rather than wood for the outside of the hive, so you can see the thousands of bees at work. Truly unique!) There are also extensive plants and flowers within the - it was bigger than expected, and abuts a longer walk outside the property if interested. Free parking available, though can be a little tight during busy times. Shop has a nice selection of items for sale. Used bookstore is upstairs in the (final room). Cafe a bit small, but hot drinks, a few pastries, and other cold drinks/snacks available. Toilets clean and outside near the cafe. Free entry for English Heritage members or £17 I think for an adult. There is plenty of free parking at the house. Audio guides were available and a guidebook for £5. Cafe onsite as well. One of the better English Heritage experiences. A nicely informative museum with some good displays of Darwin’s personal possessions. It tells his story very well in the upper and it really is a great story about an impressive figure in the history of science. Surely worth the journey for that alone. Amazing to walk in the he lived in. Downstairs are more furnished as they were in the 19th century when Darwin lived here. The is small enough to get around in a few minutes but it’s well kept. There is a second hand bookstore and a larger souvenir shop but the selection of items is largely English Heritage based and very little worth getting specific to Darwin. There is much to see at Charles Darwin's former family home. Quite a substantial exhibition in the upstairs with numerous artifacts and lots of information to read. I do find it very disappointing that visitors are not allowed to take photographs in the house, surely there are no secrets there. Downstairs you can see most of the including the one where Darwin worked and studied. I managed to have a chat with one of the English Heritage staff who kindly gave me a short tour of the downstairs which I really appreciated and enjoyed. Outside there is a very nice and quite a large to walk around and a greenhouse with laboratory where experiments and studies on plants were carried out. The gardens were very tranquil and there was a great deal of birdsong. The gardens are in winter mode so not quite so much to see but this gives me an excuse to return when spring has sprung. I am pleased I was able to enjoy the peace that winter brings and it was a bright sunny day too. There is a tea room serving drinks and snacks, I grabbed a nice mocha and sat in a covered area at the back of the on some lovely comfy chairs bathed in winter sunshine and soaked up the atmosphere. Parking is free and entry is free for English Heritage members. There are toilets onsite and I believe a toilet for disabled users plus baby changing. Lovely birthday treat day out here. Lots to learn in the and gorgeous to stroll around. Cafe handy and with nice cakes. Oddly expensive jacket potatoes. Good proper tea in a teapot. Would have been interesting to hear more about the colonial aspects of the exhibit and to include some alternative world views. We spent 3-4 hours here and could have spent more time on the downstairs rooms. We ended signing up for annual English Heritage membership. Seems a bit petty that you don’t get a shop discount until you’ve been a member for more than a year This was a really interesting place to visit. The upstairs of Down focuses on Darwin's work and expeditions. The ground floor of Down has been carefully recreated and dressed as it would have been when the family lived there. As well as giving a good overview of his career and family life, English Heritage doesn't shy away from the facts that Darwin was born into a of wealth & privilege and never had to worry about where the funds for his work came from. The surrounding grounds are extensive and mostly comprise meadow and woodland. 1 area was closed (the fungi meadow). Plenty of space for kids to burn off excess energy. There's a large kitchen growing heritage varieties, a small floral and a hot/greenhouse. There's a café on site serving light snacks and refreshments with veggie options. Loads of seating inside and outside on the patio in good weather. Toilets are modern and everything works. Staff were universally friendly and welcoming. Top tips: Plenty of parking (overflow parking available if necessary). Buy your tickets online up to midnight the day before for a good saving. No saving if tickets booked on the day of your visit. GW 2:1 is accepted and offers tremendous value. Check opening days if visiting outside peak season as it won't be open every day. Picnic area by the tennis court. No photography allowed within any part of the house. Loads of accessibility info on the website. Accessibility dogs only allowed so you'll need to leave Rover at home. A great visit. Well done English Heritage. If you are lucky to find Kim the volunteer (the chap in the photo) make sure to take one of his guided tours! He knows every secret of Darwin! For example, I didn't know that two of the most famous pics of Darwin where taken in the little patio just outside the (in front of the sundial), the flooring remains the same! Also, Kim's tour is free. If you come by bus to Downe (the bus stop of Downe Church), don't make the same mistake we did in which we walked to Darwin's via the street alongside the cars (there's no sidewalk). Instead follow the signs of the footpath to reach the (its also a nicer walk). Oh and make sure to eat one of the apples in Darwin's orchard, who knows, maybe you'll ingest his knowledge! And finally, take a picture What a fantastic day out for Mother’s Day to the former of Charles Darwin. As with all English heritage sites you are greeted by such friendly staff on arrival. You always feel so welcomed. The staff are so knowledgeable and are always happy to answer any questions you have. As you arrive you explore the which is still in its former glory from when Charles Darwin lived here. You can see his study, bedroom and games room which are very interesting to see with lots of exhibits. Upstairs you can learn all about his 5 year round the globe trip on Hms Beagle. They have even recreated a size cabin which he lived in on Hms Beagle. The gardens are beautiful with lots of different flowers to see. The children can explore the laboratory he had built and get their hands messy whilst learning about the flowers. There is a massive picnic area with lots of tables in one of the gardens to enjoy your lunch. An absolute must and a really good day out. Down House, the of Charles Darwin is a fantastic place to visit. The place oozes with history and explains how he came to write one of the most important theories - On the Origin of Species. The displays are very easy to follow and engaging, containing beautiful and intriguing extracts from his diaries. Be sure to explore the beautiful grounds and do some light thinking as you walk the famous Sandwalk. Car parking is limited considering the size of the property, so be prepared to find alternative spaces nearby. I went a week ago with my good pal who's also interested in visiting historical homes and belongs to the National Trust. Downs is a 'must see' if you're interested in botany, history or well preserved old houses and grounds. In fact anyone would find this place worth a and the English Heritage staff were amazing, very friendly, informative and obviously proud to work there. It's a museum essentially with an excellent video introduction by people, including David Attenborough, who deseribe Darwin's upbringing and unremarkable academic achievements. But he always had a fascination with nature and was encouraged by an uncle to study it. They explain his 5 year experience compiling data and samples on board HMS Beagle in the mid 1800s when he was only in his mid 20s right up to when he spent many years writing The Origin of the Species. The office in which he wrote that and about 30 other books is left much as it was when he used in. The lunch and coffee we both had was excellent, as was the later afternoon tea we had in the veranda looking out to the south facing garden. The lady serving in the tea room explained that we were in part of the original kitchen and a number of other things to us The grounds look lovely and well kept too but we visited in winter and decided to see them next time when we re-visit with our partners. All in all a terrific experience... so much so that we joined National Heritage with partners before we left. It has over 400 places of interest in England alone did you know! (plus properties in Wales and Scotland which offer discounts to members) The information was displayed in a way that kept my interest whilst not overwhelming. I struggle with a lot of text, so that was appreciated. Learned a lot about Charles Darwin. And the walk through the and gardens were lovely. It would be great to see it in Summer as well. My favourite place in London, it was a good experience and all the people there are lovely 🌳👏🏻 (and a delicious tea ☕) I didn't imagine to make a new friend over there. It's a place full of magic ✨ It's a basic of the history of the UK and science. Highly recommend a to the picturesque Down House, the countryside-home of the great naturalist Mr. Charles Darwin. He lived there for 40 years and is where he wrote his famous revolutionary book the Origin of Species. Took my son on a homeschooling excursion today and he was fascinated to learn about the carnivorous plant species that Mr. Darwin studied. You can sense the great honorary scientist's spirit still roaming his fragrantly beautiful English garden. It was a pleasure to Mr. Darwin's home, greenhouse laboratory, grounds and tea room. Enjoy A comfortable family where one of science's biggest ideas"the Origin of Species" took shape. Out back, the famous "Sandwalk" path where he did his daily thinking still winds through the woods. The kitchen where he experimented with plants is still growing today. Hard to picture Darwin pacing these floors mulling over his theories while his ten kids played in the next room. 😂 Excellent English Heritage site to in Kent. I’ve visited before solo and this time took my parents. Volunteers and staff very knowledgable and helpful. Unique property where a lot of Darwin’s genuine serif acts and possessions are still housed their on line from his descendants. Lovely gardens and greenhouse to too. A wonderful place that takes you back to the story of Charles Darwin. Developments, ideas and theories are impeccable, contribution to our current is priceless. I think every person should this wonderful estate and breathe in the spirit of history. By the way, the territory is quite large. there is a beautiful garden. If you this place in the spring, you can enjoy the smell of blooming cherries and apple trees. Visiting greenhouses with incredible species of plants that were discovered many years ago is very exciting. You can also take a break in a cozy cafe with a cup of coffee. The and the was a very nice place to visit. It was also very informative. Darwin's whole journey through and his work were explained thoroughly. Excellent to Downe House. We ended up on a free tour, with Kim. He was very knowledgeable and passionate which kick started our trip well and we learnt a lot. Displays are also fascinating and the and objects brought Charles Darwin (and family)to life. We were here for a project but it’s a beautiful and gardens with lots to see. All the staff and volunteers were helpful and friendly. (I hope the English Heritage know how good they are!) Highly recommended Website change monitoring Monitor any webpage for changes – get instant email alerts when prices drop, new jobs are posted, products come back in stock, or competitors update their sites. See how the number of reviews and average review scores have changed over time.