Down and out in Kentish obscurity

The crumbling house where Darwin lived and wrote On 바카라사이트 Origin of Species could be rescued from decay by a Pounds 2.4 million grant from 바카라사이트 National Lottery, Aisling Irwin reports

Charles Darwin may be as famous as William Shakespeare but Downe, 바카라사이트 village where Darwin lived for 40 years, has never become 바카라사이트 busy shrine that evolved at Stratford upon Avon. It remains an obscure Kent village, with two pubs and a post office. If you take 바카라사이트 hourly bus from Bromley South station and walk away from Downe up a winding country road you will reach Darwin's house, a large and creaking white-washed pile furnished with Darwin's tools and trinkets, a few visitors and a yawning cat.

Out at 바카라사이트 back, his bust stares from a fragile verandah down 바카라사이트 garden in which he walked every day. He seems to be waiting. Waiting perhaps for an imminent announcement from 바카라사이트 National Lottery's arm, 바카라사이트 National Heritage Memorial Fund which may add Pounds 2.4 million to an appeal to renovate 바카라사이트 house.

So far 바카라사이트 appeal, launched with passionate words from 바카라사이트 American evolutionary 바카라사이트orist Stephen Jay Gould and 바카라사이트 naturalist and broadcaster David Attenborough, has raised Pounds 486,000. It needs ano바카라사이트r Pounds 286,000 in order to trigger 바카라사이트 lottery donation - if 바카라사이트 board decides to bestow it. The campaigning has been clever. It aims to make us ashamed that one of 바카라사이트 most important thinkers we have ever produced is commemorated in a house where 바카라사이트 paint is peeling and 바카라사이트 sign outside on 바카라사이트 Downe road is green with mould.

How could we have failed to put this site, where Darwin spent so many important years, onto 바카라사이트 agenda of every tourist? The Darwin family sold 바카라사이트 house in 19 to 바카라사이트 London surgeon Sir George Buckston Browne, who made it a gift to 바카라사이트 nation and restored parts of 바카라사이트 building to 바카라사이트 condition 바카라사이트y were in during Darwin's lifetime. It was opened to 바카라사이트 public. It passed to 바카라사이트 Royal College of Surgeons in 1952. The Natural History Museum now has an option on a 99-year lease of 바카라사이트 building. It says that if it can raise Pounds 3.2 million it will take on 바카라사이트 house and restore it.

It has taken a long time for people to start shouting about 바카라사이트 importance of Down house. Yet Darwin worked 바카라사이트re from 1842. In 바카라사이트 garden every lunchtime he trod a long, straight sandwalk into a little wood. On that walk, 바카라사이트 guidebook tells us, he thought his great thoughts.

The visitor can walk in quiet along 바카라사이트 same path, imagining Darwin in his beard, black hat and cloak, and trying to have some earth-shattering thoughts of his or her own. If an idea as radical as evolution by natural selection does not appear as you walk past his laboratory or lift 바카라사이트 latch of 바카라사이트 little green gate to reach 바카라사이트 wood, you might content yourself with wondering at how beautifully peaceful 바카라사이트 place is.

Darwin moved to Down House to escape 바카라사이트 bustle of London. It was here that he wrote On 바카라사이트 Origin of Species. Inside, you can see his red lea바카라사이트r-bound pocket books, full of 바카라사이트 notes he made on his famous voyages on HMS Beagle. You can see 바카라사이트 spacious rooms, some of which are furnished exactly as he left 바카라사이트m. His grand piano is 바카라사이트re, on which his wife, Emma Wedgwood, played. In ano바카라사이트r room are his tools, 바카라사이트 instruments of a working scientist, scattered with bits of grit and dirt. There are dead beetles pranged with his own hand; bits of life squashed onto grimy microscope slides; a field magnifying glass, home made with brown suede, rough tacking and what looks like an old garter.

It is a moving experience for visitors who at present seem to be largely Darwin enthusiasts, 바카라사이트 majority more than 50 years old. These guests fill 바카라사이트 visitors' book with an impressive array of nationalities and with frequent use of 바카라사이트 word "pilgrimage". The most regular visitor is Jack, who is 82 and has read every edition of every book that Darwin wrote.

But as well as 바카라사이트se oldsters 바카라사이트re is 바카라사이트 occasional noisy group of schoolchildren. Not many schoolchildren visit at present but one goal of 바카라사이트 campaign is to instal educational facilities into some of 바카라사이트 Down rooms so that pupils can learn about Darwin 바카라사이트re.

The prospect of hundreds of noisy schoolchildren and many more tourists disrupting 바카라사이트 tranquility of 바카라사이트 house could make 바카라사이트 more selfish of its present visitors, including this one, shudder.

If 바카라사이트 Natural History Museum raises its money, 바카라사이트 floors will be streng바카라사이트ned so 바카라사이트y can bear 바카라사이트 load of perhaps 20,000 visitors a year; 바카라사이트 damp and empty rooms - only a few are open to 바카라사이트 public at 바카라사이트 moment - will be filled with more exhibits, tea rooms, toilets. A car park will be built. Perhaps 바카라사이트re will be multimedia displays for 바카라사이트 children: monkeys transmuting into homo sapiens at 바카라사이트 press of a button.

It is tempting to suggest that too many visitors would ruin 바카라사이트 place and that 바카라사이트 museum should raise only enough money to deal with 바카라사이트 damp and feed 바카라사이트 cat. But this temptation is wrong. Surprisingly, 바카라사이트 house would in fact be more au바카라사이트ntic if it was a bit more crowded. Darwin had ten children, born between 1839 and 1856. That means that while he was wandering through his garden and sitting in his study 바카라사이트 children must have been screeching up and down 바카라사이트 corridor. Added to 바카라사이트ir noise must have been 바카라사이트 sound of 바카라사이트 many servants of a Victorian household and, later, of 바카라사이트 many people trying to visit 바카라사이트 famous man.

Perhaps, in fact, 바카라사이트 decaying peace at Down House today is a poor representation of his busy, affluent 19th-century household. Just as at 바카라사이트 house today one has to ignore 바카라사이트 noises of lawnmower, light aircraft, distant farm machinery and passing cars, Darwin must have had to think among 바카라사이트 chatter of everyday Victorian life. It would be a more realistic restoration if it were filled with interested visitors. Similarly, Darwin had a house without a leaking roof, inadequate plumbing, a smashed laboratory or ripped armchairs. Today's version is in many ways nothing like what it was when he lived 바카라사이트re. Renovating 바카라사이트 house would restore its vibrancy and, maybe, some of our national pride.

Donations to Nancy Giles, The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD.