Down House

Call Directions Website Contact the museum

Down House The Home of Charles Darwin Please email us at [email protected].
(608)

Charles Darwin's Home

HOUSE RULES

This page is designed as a place to discuss Down House - to share tips for a great day out at the house, upcoming events and news from the property. We love hearing the ideas and opinions of our social community, and encourage you to leave comments, photos, videos and links (โ€˜contentโ€™) here on our page. However, in the interests of our whole community, by using this site you accept our โ€˜house rulesโ€™ and agree that any content posted by you on our page will follow these rules. Content posted on our page must not:

โ€ข be threatening, violent, attacking or harassing towards other users
โ€ข contain or promote discrimination based on race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, s*x, gender, s*xual orientation, disability or medical conditions
โ€ข be defamatory of any other person
โ€ข constitute trolling, repeat off-topic discussions or repeatedly contain similar comments
โ€ข be obscene, offensive or inflammatory
โ€ข constitute unlawful activity, or be deemed to support unlawful activity
โ€ข disclose the name, address, telephone, mobile or fax number, email address or any other personal data in respect of any individual
โ€ข contain links to files which contain malicious software
โ€ข infringe any copyright, database right, trademark or other intellectual property rights of any other person
โ€ข impersonate any person, or misrepresent your identity or affiliation with any person
โ€ข advertise any products or personal projects which are unrelated to the discussion, Down House or the work of English Heritage

If we consider that any of our house rules have been broken, we will take whatever action we feel is appropriate, including deleting any content. We support Facebookโ€™s community standards, and ask that you do, too: www.facebook.com/communitystandards

If you have any questions about the house rules, Down House, the work of English Heritage, membership or queries that need a more in depth answer our Customer Services team would be happy to help.

It's Spooky Season! We hope our Glass House isn't the "Little Glass House of Horrors", despite it's large array of carni...
19/10/2026

It's Spooky Season!

We hope our Glass House isn't the "Little Glass House of Horrors", despite it's large array of carnivorous plants! ๐Ÿชด

Did you know that Audrey II from the "Little Shop of Horrors" is a fictional, sentient, carnivorous plant inspired visually by real species such as the Venus flytrap and pitcher plants just like the ones we have here at Down House, inside Charles Darwin's Glass House!

What other carnivorous plants can you spot? ๐Ÿชฐ

18/10/2026

The sheep have arrived in Darwin's back garden! ๐Ÿ‘

Next weekend it's Worm Weekend here at Down House!On Saturday 24th & Sunday 25th October, we have a weekend specially de...
17/10/2026

Next weekend it's Worm Weekend here at Down House!

On Saturday 24th & Sunday 25th October, we have a weekend specially dedicated to finding out about Darwin's experiments on worms and their behavior.

๐Ÿชฑ Learn about different types of earthworms!

๐Ÿชฑ Carry out worm sampling!

๐Ÿชฑ Find out more about the Darwin 'wormstone'!

๐ŸชฑPlus more!!

Find out more and book your tickets here: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/whats-on/down-house-worm-weekend-24-to-25-oct/

Our secondhand bookshop is full with a vast range of books! ๐Ÿ“šOur seasonal "Autumn Reading" section changes out regularly...
13/10/2026

Our secondhand bookshop is full with a vast range of books! ๐Ÿ“š

Our seasonal "Autumn Reading" section changes out regularly, with hand picked books we think would be perfect to cosy up with this season. From thrillers and horrors, gothic romances and kids spooky stories too! ๐Ÿ‚

Come and find your next read!

10/10/2026

It's World Mental Health Day! ๐Ÿง 

Take a moment to take a walk in nature, slow down and breathe.

Come and walk Darwin's thinking path AKA The Sandwalk, a circular route at the end of the garden here at down house, that Darwin walked every single day to clear his mind and focus on his theories.

Walking is the best way to exercise both the body and mind and being in nature has a way of grounding us! ๐Ÿƒ

Save the date! ๐Ÿ’™Apsley House will be hosting an event on Saturday 17 October exploring Black lives in Georgian Britain, ...
09/10/2026

Save the date! ๐Ÿ’™

Apsley House will be hosting an event on Saturday 17 October exploring Black lives in Georgian Britain, in honour of Black History Month.

Find out more information below.

08/10/2026

Autumn is showing all of its colours here at Down House today! ๐Ÿ‚ ๐Ÿ ๐Ÿฟ

In October 1828 Charles Darwin began studying at Edinburgh University. ๐ŸŽ“He studied medicine but could not stand the sigh...
06/10/2026

In October 1828 Charles Darwin began studying at Edinburgh University. ๐ŸŽ“

He studied medicine but could not stand the sight of blood. So he left Edinburgh to join Christ's College, Cambridge to study theology, a general degree that could have lead to him becoming an Anglican clergyman.

Although at both universities he proved to be more interested in natural history than in his regular studies. ๐Ÿƒ

190 years ago today, on 2 October 1836, Charles Darwin returned to Britain aboard HMS Beagle, bringing to an end nearly ...
02/10/2026

190 years ago today, on 2 October 1836, Charles Darwin returned to Britain aboard HMS Beagle, bringing to an end nearly five years of exploration ๐Ÿ”Ž

The Beagle arrived in Falmouth, Cornwall, before Darwin travelled to Shrewsbury to reunite with his family. The voyageโ€™s discoveries and observations would shape his scientific career and help lay the foundations for his theory of evolution by natural selection ๐Ÿงฌ

Darwin wrote to his uncle, Josiah Wedgwood II, on 5 October 1836, after arriving in Shrewsbury the night before. In his letter, he expresses his excitement at being reunited with his friends and family:

"My dear Uncle

The Beagle arrived at Falmouth on Sunday evening, & I reached home late last night. My head is quite confused with so much delight, but I cannot allow my sisters to tell you first, how happy I am to see all my dear friends again. I am obliged to return in three or four days to London, where the Beagle will be paid off, & then I shall pay Shrewsbury a longer visit...

Your most affectionate nephew | Chas. Darwin"

Address

Luxted Road, Downe
Orpington
BR67JT

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Down House posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Museum

Send a message to Down House:

Share

Category