Woolsthorpe Manor

Woolsthorpe Manor is the birthplace and was the family home of Sir Isaac Newton. He was born there on 25 December 1642 (old calendar). At that time it was a farmstead, principally rearing sheep.

Newton returned here in 1666 when Cambridge University closed due to the plague, and here he performed many of his most famous experiments, most notably his work on light and optics. This is also believed to be the site where Newton observed an apple fall from a tree, inspiring him to formulate his law of universal gravitation.

Now in the hands of the National Trust and open to the public all year round, it is presented as a typical seventeenth century yeoman's farmhouse (or as near to that as possible, taking into account modern living, health and safety requirements and structural changes that have been made to the house since Newton's time).

New areas of the house, once private, were opened up to the public in 2003, with the old rear steps (that once led up to the hay loft and grain store and often seen in drawings of the period) being rebuilt, and the old walled kitchen garden, to the rear of the house, being restored.

Our famous apple tree - around 400 years old and counting - is one of hundreds of plants which can now be propagated by the National Trust's Plant Conservation Unit, based at Knightshayes Court in Devon. As apple trees don't come true from seed, we sent some cuttings to the Unit, so that there will always be 'daughter' trees of Isaac Newton's Flower of Kent apple - the tree which inspired his work on gravity. 

One of the former farmyard buildings has been equipped so that visitors can have hands-on experience of the physical principles investigated by Newton in the house.

In the Manor House there are mysterious drawings scratched into the plaster - some are Isaac's and some are witch marks to keep out evil spirits. This one was done by a visiting maths professor in 1779. The graffiti are part of our collection of historic items.