Day Planner

What to do on site
Which English Heritage Properties are nearby?
Which other places of interest are nearby?

What to do on site

House

Suggested time needed: 1-2 hours

Immerse yourself in Darwin’s world with an audio tour of the atmospheric family rooms, narrated by Sir David Attenborough. Be inspired as you stand in the very study where he researched and wrote his most famous work, On the Origin of Species.

Visit the new first floor exhibition which charts Darwin’s life, introduces his groundbreaking theory and explores the effect his ideas had on the conservative Victorian world. Special highlights include unique collections of Darwin’s personal possessions, rare manuscript material including pages from the Origin, and an impressive full scale replica of his cabin onboard HMS Beagle.

Gardens

Suggested time needed:1 hour

Wander the extensive gardens at Down House and explore what was for Darwin a landscape of discovery. With a new handheld video guide, discover the many ways in which the surrounding landscape inspired Darwin’s research, a landscape he cherished as his ‘outdoor laboratory’.

See some of Darwin’s famous experiments recreated in the gardens, alongside a vast array of Victorian varieties of fruit and vegetables in the kitchen garden. Take time to marvel at the orchids and carnivorous plants on display in the hothouse, and witness a hive of activity in the bee observatory. Beyond this, follow in the footsteps of this enigmatic scientific thinker as you stroll along what is for many a place of pilgrimage: the Sandwalk, Darwin’s famous ‘thinking path’, which he trod daily. 

Tea Room & Shop

Suggested time needed: 45 minutes

Take time to browse our new gift shop before relaxing in the tea room, where you can enjoy a wide selection of light lunches and refreshments.

Which English Heritage Properties are nearby?

Lullingstone Roman Villa, Kent

Distance: 11.4 miles

One of the few excavated villas fully open to visitors, Lullingstone provides a unique opportunity to trace Roman domestic life over three and a half centuries. Marvel at the amazing mosaics and fascinating artefacts, travel back nearly 2,000 years with a film and light show, and enjoy a range of hands-on activities.

Eltham Palace, Greenwich

Distance: 12.2 miles

Built in 1936 next to the remains of a medieval royal palace – once boyhood home to Henry VIII – this art deco mansion is a stunning masterpiece of twentieth-century design. Enjoy an audio tour narrated by actor David Suchet guiding you through the extravagant and sumptuous rooms, before exploring the 19 acres of beautiful gardens.

Which other places of interest are nearby?

Christmas Tree Farm

Distance: 1 mile

Christmas Tree Farm is fun for all the family. Stroke and feed the animals, spend time in the garden centre and relax in the landscaped gardens.

Tonbridge Castle

Distance: 18.8 miles

Gain an insight into 900 years of English history with an audio tour of the motte-and-bailey gatehouse and relax in the castle’s peaceful park setting.