Down House

Down House is where Charles Darwin lived from 1842 until his death in 1882. It was here that he wrote his most famous work, ‘On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection’, and today visitors can wander into the study where he tirelessly worked. The gardens contains a greenhouse where Darwin developed many specimens to study, and many of the items that belonged to Darwin and his family and that were originally in the house have been returned, even the rooms have been designed to look as they did when he lived there thanks to old photographs. Hand-held multimedia guides are available for visitors and they explain the different aspects of Darwin’s work. You will be able to retrace his steps on the wooded path he called his ‘Thinking Path’, which he would pace up and down five times a day, as well as see his writing desk and chair. There are various displays – one is dedicated to the five years he spent travelling on the HMS Beagle. Opening times vary throughout the year and admission is £9.30 for adults.