Hallowed ground

Today, at long last, I visited Down House, something I have wanted to do for as long as I can remember.

Down House was the home of the Victorian scientist, Charles Darwin (1809-82) from 1842 until his death 40 years later. Situated in the rural Kent village of Downe, the house offered the peace and privacy that Darwin needed to work on his revolutionary scientific theories. It was at Down that he developed his landmark views on evolution by natural selection and that he wrote his groundbreaking work, 'On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection' (1859) - arguably the most important biological book ever written.

It was here that Darwin carried out his original research on a wide variety of subjects and where he penned his other major books. These include:

Darwin, C 1859. 'On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or, The Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life', London

Darwin, C 1862. ' On the Various Contrivances by which British and Foreign Orchids are Fertilised by Insects', London Darwin, C 1865. 'On the Movements and Habits of Climbing Plants', London

Darwin, C 1868. 'The Variation of Animals and Plants under Domestication', 2 vols, London

Darwin, C 1871. 'The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex', 2 vols, London

Darwin, C 1872. 'The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals', London

Darwin, C 1875. 'Insectivorous Plants', London Darwin, C 1876. 'The Effects of Cross- and Self-Fertilisation in the Vegetable Kingdom', London

Darwin, C 1877. 'Different Forms of Flowers on Plants of the Same Species', London

Darwin, C 1881. 'The Formation of Vegetable Mould, through the Action of Worms, with Observations on Their Habits', London


1851. Living Cirripedia, A monograph on the sub-class Cirripedia, with figures of all the species. The Lepadidæ; or, pedunculated cirripedes. Vol. 1

1854. Living Cirripedia, The Balanidæ, (or sessile cirripedes); the Verrucidæ. Vol. 2

1851. Fossil Cirripedia of Great Britain: A monograph on the fossil Lepadidae, or pedunculated cirripedes of Great Britain. Vol. 1

1854. A monograph on the fossil Balanidæ and Verrucidæ of Great Britain. Vol. 2