Down House

DOWN HOUSE IN 1872, after Darwin's many additions

www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/the-house-where-darwin-lived-4277158

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Dinesh ^club

In mid-July (1842) Charles and Emma returned to London to prepare for their coming move to the country. This move, which they had decided on two years earlier, was dictated mainly on grounds of Charle’s health and in accordance with strong medical advice. There were other reasons as well. Charles loved observing animals and plants and was eager to start experiments in connection with his species work, which could only be done in the country. Moreover, both he and Emma disliked living in the Great Wen and welcomed the prospects of fresh air. After house-hunting for some time in Surrey, they had eventually decided on Down House, on the Down House, on the outskirts of the village of Downe (The name of the village is spelt with “e”, the house without) near Oprington in Kent. Although agreeably isolated, it was only fifteen miles from St. Paul’s and therefore reasonably accessible. The drive to the nearest railway station, over eight miles, was undesirable long; but with ten miles more and frequent trains the total journey time, Charles estimated would be about two hours. ~ Page 246

In a long letter of 24th July 1842 to his sister Cathrine, intended also for his father’s eyes, Charles gives a detailed description of the location and surrounding countryside, referring to the house itself only toward the end

Village about 40 houses with old walnut trees in middle where stands an old flint church and the lanes meet. -- inhabitants very respectable. Infant school -- grown up people great musicians -- all touch their hats as in Wales, and sit at their open doors in evening, no high-road Leads through village. -- The little pot-house, where we slept in a grocers-shop and the land-lord is the carpenter -- so you may guess the style of the village -- There are but butcher and baker and post office. A carrier goes weekly to London and calls anywhere for anything in London, and takes anything anywhere -- On the road to the village, on fine day scenery absolutely beautiful: from close to our house, view, very distant and rather beautiful -- but house being situated on rather high table-land, had somewhat a desolate air -- There is most beautiful old farm-house with great thatched barns and old stumps, of oak-trees like that of Shelton, on field off. -- The charm of the place to me is that almost every filed is intersected (as alas is ours) by one or more extraordinary rural and quiet with narrow lanes and a high hedges and hardly any ruts -- It is really surprising to think London is only 16 miles off. -- The house stands very badly close to a tiny lane and near another man’s field -- Our field is 15 acres and flat, looking into flat-bottomed valleys on both sides, but no view from drawing-room, wh: faces due South except our own flat field and bits of rather ugly distant horizon. -- Close in front, there are some old (very productive) cherry-trees, walnut-trees, -- yew, -- spanish-chestnut, -- pear -- old larch, scotch-fir and silver fir and old mulberry-trees make rather a pretty group -- They give the ground an old look, but from not flourishing much also give it rather a desolate look. There are quinces and medlars and plums with plenty of fruit, and Marelles-cherries, but few apples. -- The purple magnolia flowers against house: There is really fine beech in view of our hedge. -- the kitchen garden is a detestable slip and the soil looks wretched from quantity of chalk flits, but I really believe it is productive. The hedges grow well all around our field, and it is noted piece of Hay-land . . . Page 246/247

2 years ago. Edited 2 years ago.

Dinesh ^club

2 years ago.

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