Down House

With its unique place in the history of science, Down House, the home of Victorian scientist Charles Darwin (1809–82), is one of the major visitor attractions in the South East. Down House was Darwin's home from 1842 until his death 40 years later. Situated in the rural Kent village of Downe, the house offered the peace and privacy that Darwin needed to work on his revolutionary scientific theories.

See the study where Darwin wrote 'On the Origin of Species', still as it was when he worked here, and stroll through the extensive gardens that so inspired the great scientist.

Equally fascinating are the glimpses you get into the life of the Darwins in the family rooms. And there’s an exciting interactive multimedia tour, narrated by David Attenborough, to tell you more about how Darwin developed his ideas.

The Site has been nominated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and this area includes Darwin's house, his experimental garden and the countryside immediately around his property, the three areas which he used together for almost all of his most important scientific investigations after his early years on the round-the-world voyage of HMS Beagle. It is known as Darwin's Landscape Laboratory.

For anyone with an interest in science and evolution, this is a fascinating family day out in Kent.

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