Visiting Darwin's Home, Part 1: Down House

tags: Sandwalk, Down House, Darwin, nature, photography, London, England, Bromley, England

Sunday, the day after the Nature Network Science Blog conference had concluded, Mike, Mo and I caught a train to Bromley, England, where we toured Darwin's Down House and gardens and walked along the famous Sandwalk that Darwin once strode as he contemplated his book and his ideas about evolution.

We went to the Victoria Train Station in London, where we caught a sleek silvery train to the nearby town of Bromley.

Professor Steve Steve, never very talkative, was nonetheless clearly excited about visiting the home of his hero, Charles Darwin. I finally had to place him on the table by the train window to calm him down. Here, he is listening Mike, Mo and I as we discuss our upcoming adventure while the countryside speeds by.

After the train ride, we caught a bus to Bromley and rode it to the end of the line. I was delighted by this tree with benches around it in the middle of a roundabout next to the bus stop, so I had to photograph it to share with you.

Here is a glimpse of part of the town of Bromley as seen from the bus stop. It is quite charming, isn't it?

As we walked away from the bus stop, I saw two horse riders approaching, riding beautiful horses, and managed to snap a photograph of one of them. Isn't this a fine looking animal?

After the horse riders disappeared, we walked down a road that was bounded on each side by a thick growth of trees and foliage. There was no sidewalk, and the road was narrow -- a lane and a half wide, really. The thicket on each side of the road accentuated my feeling of being hemmed in. Interestingly, this was not an uncomfortable feeling for me, having spent much of my life walking through rainforests of the United States' Pacific Northwest, looking and listening for birds.

Along the way, I would catch a glimpse of roads that branched off from the road we were walking along, which made me think of Robert Frost's evocative poem, The Road Not Taken.

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I --
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

-- Robert Frost (1874-1963).

Along the way, I spied an antique letterbox by the side of the road. This style of letterbox is nearly extinct throughout England, so of course, I had to snap a picture of it to share with you.

Even though it had just finished raining, the walk was cool and pleasant and not very long, really. Soon we were walking through a parking lot next to Down House, peering at a lush overgrowth of brush and dried grasses, and then we were greeted by a sign that stood next to a brick wall;

After a short walk along a pathway through a brushy area filled with apple trees, there it was: Darwin's Down House!

The front of Down House, where Charles Darwin lived from 1842 until his death in 1882.

Unfortunately, no photographs were allowed inside the house. I was terribly disappointed, since I wanted very much to share images of what we saw and learned in there, so instead, I had to be content with snapping pictures of the front door. Of course, but the gift shop was only to happy to separate us from our money in exchange for glossy gift books filled with images. I am proud to say that they were not successful with me (although, I would have happily purchased a t-shirt if they had one that was of good quality available).

We each got a free self-guided audio tour with our paid admission, so everyone walked around with headphones on as we gazed upon the rooms where Darwin did his writing and thinking and microscopy on barnacles and beetles and other things. The main floor of the house had been restored as accurately as possible, and much of the wallpapers, carpets, paintings, furniture and books in Darwin's office were original. Standing in Darwin's office was the highlight of the tour, in my opinion.

The next floor of the house, which was where the children's bedrooms and "school room" (originally, the nursery) were located, had all been transformed into a museum of Darwin's life and was filled with photographs showing Darwin's ancestry, and photographs of his children, along with some of their personal artifacts and toys. Some basic evolution information could be found on this floor as well.

The third floor was closed to the public, which immediately filled me with a nearly insatiable curiosity to see what is up there .. I am sure my imagination made it seem more interesting than it is in real life, though.

It was eerie to walk around Down House, almost as though I had been transported back in time, and I might run into Darwin at any minute -- as I walked around, I wondered what I might say if I should run into Darwin. What would you say if you came face-to-face with Darwin himself?

Overall, this was an interesting tour and was well worth the admission fee.