Evolution begins in Kent !

When Charles Darwin moved to Down House, situated on the Kent Downs 16 miles from central London, he declared it to be `the extreme verge of (the) world' but feared of becoming a `Kentish Hog' there. This was because at such a distance from London Darwin worried he might become out of touch with current scientific thinking and too settled into a rural way of life. In fact, his home and the surrounding countryside became the setting for his life and work during the period of his greatest achievements as a scientist.

Much of our current understanding of the evolution of organisms, their ecological relationships, the importance of biodiversity and man's place in nature came from Darwin. He drew his vivid insights from careful observations of natural life in the landscape around him and from the meticulous experiments he devised. The rich mosaic of gardens, fields and woodlands around Downe survive almost exactly as they were in his time and it is inspiring to think that the descendants of the species, the primroses, worms and bees amongst them, still thrive in the settings in which he studied them.

Darwin frequented the chalk downland close to where he lived. 'Orchis Bank', now Kent Wildlife Trust's Downe Bank, was a favourite place of his. The studies of wild orchids formed the basis for his explanation of the co-evolution of flowers and their insect pollinators. The site is thought to have inspired his vision of a 'tangled bank' in the conclusion of The Origin of Species, a passage which emphasises the intricate interrelations of different species.

It was essential for Darwin to grasp the full extent of the passage of geological time through which the slow process of natural selection had been working. He explained in The Origin of Species how the view over the Kentish Weald from a country lane near his home enabled him to appreciate the otherwise unimaginable lengths of time involved "…the denudation of the Weald must have required…say three hundred million years…What an infinite number of generations, which the mind cannot grasp, must have succeeded each other in the long role of years!". The view remains just as it was in Darwin's time, and its meaning is just as clear and compelling for us today as it was for him.

The significance of Darwin's work is still being recognised. In August 1998, the UK Government announced its intention to propose `Down House and environs' as a World Heritage Site for consideration by UNESCO. Designation would not only provide a fitting memorial to Darwin but enable the special character of the area to be sustained and provide a unique opportunity to foster maximum biodiversity and to stimulate further research.

Down House, owned and managed by English Heritage, is open to the public. Explore the ground floor rooms which have been restored with furnishings and pictures; the fascinating exhibition on the first floor and the gardens with Darwin's 'sandwalk' which he called his 'thinking path'. The house is open 10am - 6pm in the summer, 10am - 4pm in the winter, closed every Monday and Tuesday (apart from Bank Holidays) and all of January. Tickets cost £6.00 for adults, £4.50 for concessions, £3.00 for children, family ticket for £15; pre-booking is essential. For further details ring 01689 859119.

For further information on Bromley Council's Countryside Management Service ring Alister Hayes on 020 8313 4665.