Now re-opened following renovations. Please contact English Heritage Booking Line on (44)870 603 0145 for opening times and further details. Entry is by timed ticket.
Visit the Natural History Museum's page for an update on restoration efforts.
There is now an official web page from the Natural History Museum regarding Down House, at http://www.nhm.ac.uk/museum/Downhse/downhse.html.
Only 16 miles from the center of London, in Downe, is Charles Darwin's
home, Down House, now part of the Natural History Museum.
His study,
where he did most of his writing and microscope work, has
been recreated from photographs. His "Sand Walk" for his daily
walks and "thinking time" is open, out in the back of the large
lawn and grounds. Several rooms of the house have been made
into exhibits of letters and such. The house and grounds are a
thoroughly nice place to spend an afternoon.
Now closed for renovations, Down House was formerly open on a regular
schedule, Wednesday through Sunday, 1300-1800
(closed in February and the last half of December), plus bank holidays.
Travel Directions
By Train and Bus: From London's Victoria Station, buy a day
return ticket for Bromley South; trains are frequent. At
Bromley, take Bus 146 to Downe (except on Sundays). Down House is about a
five minute walk up Luxted Road from the village. A cab from
Bromley is about 9 pounds each way.
Driving Directions: Take the A21 to Bromley and Orpington;
Down House is signposted at Farnborough and on the A233
near Biggin Hill.
The Natural History Museum, ex-BM(NH), took over the
museum in 1993 and has plans for a major updating of the
exhibits. The curator, Ms. Solene Morris, can be reached at
Down House
Luxted Road
Downe
Kent, BR6 7JT
UK Telephone +(44)(1689) 859119
See the article, "Keeping Up Down House," in Natural History (8/96).
As of August 1997.
Page temporarily maintained by WCalvin@U.Washington.edu
in Seattle, whose home page is
http://WilliamCalvin.com.
Please create links to http://www.nhm.ac.uk/museum/Downhse/downhse.html from relevant Web pages.