Darwin's Landscape Laboratory bid for World Heritage Site

Greenhouse at Down House On January 30th the Department for Culture, Media and Sport put forward Darwin's Landscape Laboratory to UNESCO as the UK's 2009 World Heritage Site nomination. 

The nomination demonstrates how the Cudham and Downe valleys, woods, meadows, high ground, bogs, together with the gardens and greenhouse at Down House provided the raw resources for Darwin's observations and scientific experiments. Darwin used his house as his scientific laboratory and developed his many scientific theories there, the most important of which is of course evolution by natural selection. 

English Heritage is a key player in the 12 strong partnership responsible for the bid which is led by the London Borough of Bromley.The bid will be evaluated by UNESCO over the next 18 months and a decision taken by the World Heritage Committee in summer 2010.