C harles Darwin lived in Down House for forty years. It is here that he wrote his major works, which of course include On The Origin of Species. The house is located in a wonderful area about 16 miles south of London. Charles Darwin died in 1882. The family kept the house until about 1900, and in 1907 it became the Down House School for Girls. In 1927 it was purchased through funds supplied by the British Association for the Advancement of Science. From then until 1929 the house was preserved with donations and opened on June 7, 1929 to the public.

English Heritage has recently taken on the restoration and maintenace of the Down House. The ground floor rooms have been recreated to look as they would have in Darwin's time. Currently, restoration of the gardens are underway. English Heritage has done a superb job in restorations. They were extensive, all the way from a new roof, exterior upgrades and interior work. They are to be commended for their fine work!

I had the opportunity early in the winter of 1999 to visit this beautiful house and wander the grounds. It was not at a regular tourist time, so the house was quiet and empty. It was as though you could see Charles Darwin walking the house and sitting in the large chairs to contemplate various aspects of science that kept his interest.

There is a gravel parking lot to one side of the house. Upon parking in the lot, one is greeted with the sign to the far left. Stepping through the gate, there is a long pathway leading to the house. When I walked this path for the first time, I wondered how this house could be on public display. It seemed, I felt, that the house should be locked away for the future and 'us' mere mortals had no right to intrude into such manifest history. Quickly one came to the front of the house and its large size was evident immediately.

I proceeded into the front entrance where I paid my 5 pounds. With that I received an audio tour and an experience of a life time. The audio tour was well worth the time to listen. It went over history, included even details of pictures, furniture, and many other miscellaneous items. It was a wealth of information. The first room encountered was the drawing room. This is a spacious and beautiful room that included Darwin's wife, Emma's, piano. She apparently used this piano many times and "had a crisp and fine touch...there was always vigour and spirit, but not passion", according to Henrietta, Emma and Charles' daughter. There are very large windows that open to the gardens. Near the windows are some old chairs that must have held lively conversations! Of course, there is the usual fireplace to keep the room warm on cold winter nights.


Go to page 2

Doug Lundberg