Down House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Down House |
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| Location | Luxted Road, Downe, Orpington, BR6 7JT |
| Area | London Borough of Bromley |
| Owner | English Heritage |
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Listed Building – Grade I
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| Official name: Down House | |
| Designated | 31 May 1954 |
| Reference no. | 1038325 |
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Down House was the family home of Charles Darwin, a famous English naturalist. He lived here with his family. It was in this house and its gardens that Darwin worked on his groundbreaking idea of evolution by natural selection. He had first thought of this theory while living in London before moving to Down House.
This important building is a Grade I listed site. It is located on Luxted Road, about 400 meters (a quarter of a mile) south of Downe village. Downe is a village about 23 kilometers (14.25 miles) southeast of central London. When Darwin moved there in 1842, the village was known as Down. Today, it is part of the London Borough of Bromley.
English Heritage now looks after the house, garden, and grounds. They have been carefully restored and are open for everyone to visit.
The History of Down House
Early Days of Down House (1651–1842)
The land where Down House stands was first sold in 1651 for £345. It is believed that the first farmhouse was built around this time. In 1653, the house was given to Roger Know, possibly as a wedding gift. Over the years, the property changed hands several times.
In 1778, a businessman named George Butler bought the property. He is thought to have rebuilt and made the house bigger. It was even called the "Great House" back then. After Butler passed away, the house was owned by different people. In 1837, it was passed to the local church leader, Reverend James Drummond. The house was repaired and got a new roof. For two years, around 1840, the house was empty before the Darwin family bought it.
Charles Darwin's Home (1842–1906)
By 1841, Charles Darwin and his wife, Emma, found their London home too small. They both loved the countryside and were bothered by the noise and pollution in London. They also had two young children, William and Anne. Darwin's father helped him financially to look for a new home.
On July 22, 1842, Charles and Emma visited Down House. They stayed in the village overnight and liked what they saw. Even though it was a long, hilly drive from the nearest train station, the quiet village and beautiful walks appealed to them.
The house itself was "ugly" and "neither old nor new," but it had a "Capital study" (a great office) and many bedrooms. Darwin thought the price was about £2,200. Emma liked the house and grounds more than Charles did at first. They were both tired of house hunting, and the house was affordable.
After some talks, Darwin bought the house for about £2,200. Emma moved in on September 14, 1842, and Charles followed three days later. Their baby, Mary Eleanor, was born soon after, but sadly passed away a month later.
Changes to the House and Gardens
Darwin made many changes to Down House and its grounds. In 1843, he added a large bay window section to the west side of the house. This made the drawing room and the rooms above it bigger, giving better views and more light. He also lowered the lane outside and built new walls to make the garden more private. A part of the field became a kitchen garden and later, greenhouses.
All of Darwin's remaining children were born in this house: "Etty" (1843), George (1845), "Bessy" (1847), Francis (1848), Leonard (1850), Horace (1851), and Charles Waring Darwin (1856), who died young.
Between 1845 and 1846, Darwin changed the service area of the house. He rebuilt the kitchen, added a butler's pantry, a schoolroom, and two small bedrooms. He also rebuilt the outhouses.
Darwin became good friends with his neighbor, Sir John William Lubbock, and his son, John Lubbock.
In 1846, Darwin rented a strip of land next to his property and planted trees there. He called it the Sandwalk Wood. He created a gravel path known as the "sandwalk" around its edge. Darwin would walk several laps on this path every day to exercise and think without interruption. He even placed small stones to count his laps without losing his thoughts. The sandwalk was also a playground for his children. A wooden summerhouse was built at one end.
In 1858, a new section was added to the north end of the house. This created a large new drawing room, which became a comfortable family room. The old drawing room became a new dining room, and the old dining room became a billiard room.
Darwin was very interested in how plants grow and reproduce. In 1863, he had a new heated greenhouse built. He spent 16 years growing sundews and other carnivorous plants in his greenhouse. He even fed them things like roast beef and boiled egg! This research led to his important book, Insectivorous Plants (1875).
In 1872, a verandah was added to the west side of the new drawing room. In 1877, a new billiard room was added, and the entrance hall was extended. The new billiard room became Darwin's new study in 1881. The old study, where he wrote On the Origin of Species, became a smoking room.
Charles Darwin passed away at Down House on April 19, 1882, at the age of 73. His wife, Emma, also died there in 1896.
From School to Museum (1907–Present)
Downe School for Girls (1907–1922)
In February 1907, a girls' boarding school was started at Down House. It was called Downe House School and began with five teachers and one student. The school grew quickly to about 60 students. Some temporary buildings were put up for the school, but these were later removed. The school stayed at Down House until 1922, when it moved to a larger location. The school, now called Downe House School, still exists today.
Darwin Museum (1927–1996)
After another short-lived girls' school closed in 1927, a surgeon named Sir George Buckston Browne bought Down House from Darwin's family for £4,250. He spent about £10,000 on repairs. In 1929, he gave the house to the British Association for the Advancement of Science. He also gave them £20,000 to help keep it safe forever as a memorial to Darwin. Down House officially opened to the public as a museum on June 7, 1929.
The money given for the house was not enough to cover all the costs. So, in 1953, the British Association gave the house to the Royal College of Surgeons of England. In 1962, Sir Hedley Atkins and his wife moved into the house and became its honorary curators (people who look after a museum).
In May 1954, Down House was named a Grade I listed building, meaning it is a very important historic site. In 1988, the garden and Sandwalk were also added to the list of important historic parks and gardens.
Restored House and Garden (1996–Present)
In 1996, English Heritage took over Down House. With money from various groups, including the Heritage Lottery Fund, the house was restored. It reopened to the public in April 1998. In 2009, a new exhibition was created on the first floor. It tells the story of Darwin's life and work. There is also a video guide that shows how Darwin used his garden as an outdoor laboratory.
The UK government has suggested that Down House and the area around it should become a World Heritage Site. This would mean it is recognized as a place of outstanding universal value. The master bedroom was restored and opened to the public in 2016. It now shows how the Darwins' collection of art prints looked.
Visiting Down House
Down House, its garden, and grounds are open to the public every day from April to October. From November to March, it is open on weekends. The house and garden are closed at certain times for important conservation work.
You can reach the house by public transport from central London. It is in Transport for London travel Zone 6. The 146 bus from Bromley North railway station stops nearby at Downe Village. The R8 bus from Orpington railway station also stops outside Down House if you ask.
Images for kids
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Panorama of a three-story stucco rendered building in a plain Georgian style, with bushes and trees on each side where a boundary wall shelters the gravelled garden from a narrow lane.
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Charles Darwin's study at Down House, restored with original furniture including his wheeled armchair and writing board. On the right, two (shuttered) windows look east, and Darwin had an angled mirror fixed outside to see who was coming up the drive to the entrance.
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Stucco rendered building in a plain Georgian style with hipped slate roofs and overhanging eaves. The central block is three storeys, and there are two-storey extensions on each side. Lattices are fixed to walls between windows to support climbing plants. A wide lawn forms the foreground, and tall trees appear behind the block to the right.
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The sandwalk, Darwin's thinking path.
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Darwin's greenhouse at Down House where he conducted many experiments
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Down House today as a museum.
See also
In Spanish: Down House para niños
- The Mount, Shrewsbury
- Historic houses in England
- List of English Heritage properties
- Museums in England
