Detailed review by happysh2009
happysh2009
United Kingdom, United Kingdom90%
This year is the 200th anniversary of the birth of one of the world's most eminent scientists, Charles Robert Darwin.
It is also the 150th anniversary of the publication of his groundbreaking book, On the Origins of Species, which continues to be influential to this day.
In the United Kingdom there are many activities to celebrate it. After watching BBC documentaries about his garden and his theories I had a desire to visit his home called Down House.
Down House is located in Downe in the London Borough of Bromley, a village 14.2 miles (22.9 km) south east of Charing Cross. Charles Darwin and his family lived here for forty years during which time Darwin wrote the majority of his major works including the most famous, On the Origin of Species, which shocked and changed the whole world.
After less than 30 minutes we arrived. I did not realise I lived so near to Darwin home and I was so close to the great man. How lucky I was.
I visited the village church first.
Because Darwin’s wife Emma was a believer in God, Darwin with his wife went to the church for Sunday service regularly. Partly it was a Victorian tradition to visit church, but mainly it was because he loved Emma deeply. What a good husband he was.
At 11am I walked back to Down House.
I was so excited. From this moment, I would start my journey to know a great man who was just known in my history books before today.
Before I saw Down House, I thought it would like a strong castle or very old building.
I’m not sure how old it is, but I can tell it’s a little simple and plain. If nobody told me, I would not think it was his home. Similar buildings you might find in other places of this country.
opened the door and walked into the outer hall. I saw an old map of world on the table. Many umbrellas were in an umbrella stand.
Walking through the outer hall, it is a reception with a shop. The staffs were busy giving visitors electrical tourist guide. It has a big touch screen. You can touch it to choose your route and what you want to know. It's great when it works. Unfortunately, mine did not work very well. It wasted my time and drove me crazy.
I left the shop and turned right into the Drawing Room.In September of 1857 the Darwins began to build a two-storey addition to the north-west facade. It was originally intended for a 'new dining room and large bedroom over it' because they found that they had 'quite outgrown [their] old room'. By the time the room was finished they had decided to use it for a new Drawing Room.
The focal point of the room is Emma Darwin’s grand piano. It has been carefully conserved and replaced in the Drawing room in approximately the same position it occupied when it first arrived over 140 years ago.
His wife was an accomplished pianist. When she was a young lady, she had once taken a few lessons from Chopin. She could play most days for her own and the family’s pleasure.
In this room I also saw a few of portraits. At either end of the wall behind the piano are portraits of Charles and Emma painted by George Richmond just after their marriage.
Beside the bookshelf there is a picture of Darwin and his sister. It was taken when he was a boy. He looked like any ordinary boy, but he had a pot of plants in his hands that might forecast his future.
I turned right out of the Drawing room and went into the Inner Hallway. One cupboard under the stars in the inner hallway was the place where Darwin deposited old manuscripts that he did not want to throw away, including a preliminary sketch of On the origin of Species.
On the opposite side of the Inner hall is the study doorway. I turned left into the Study. There I spent most of my visit time.
In this room, Charles Darwin usually worked in the early morning and afternoon and it was here that he wrote On the Origin of Species. The room is preserved as it was during Darwin’s lifetime, using his original furniture and books.
Here I saw his high-back arm chair which he had raised up on an iron frame fitted with wheels. The Pembroke table in the centre of the room was his worktable where his magnifying glass is displayed. There is a screened area in the left-hand corner of the room was Darwin’s personal ‘privy’. I also saw an old weighing machine beside a bookshelf in the left-hand corner. It belonged to his father.
Later I also visited his garden. It was very impressive too.
It was an enjoyable day.
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