Facilities at Home of Charles Darwin (Down House)

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  Parking

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  The car park is free of charge and is just 50 metres from the front entrance. It has 42 spaces, including two blue badge bays. Access to the house is via a level path away from the road. We use the overflow carpark at busy times but this is restricted in poor weather. Please try and use public transport wherever possible. There is one coach bay available which needs to be booked in advance. Please note: There are no additional car parks within walking distance of the site.

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  Food And Drink

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  The tearoom serves a selection of sandwiches, snacks, soups, ice-creams hot food as well as hot and cold drinks.

  There is an outdoor seating area for customers and children's lunch boxes are available. The tearoom uses site-grown and local produce. Vegetarian, dairy and gluten-free options are available on the menu.

  See our Food and Drink page for more details of what we offer at Down House.

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  Picnic Area

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  You are welcome to bring a picnic to enjoy in our designated picnic area near the tennis court at the Home of Charles Darwin, Down House, please ask a member of staff for directions. Please be aware that picnics are not allowed in other areas in the grounds as Down House is a 'Site of Importance for Nature Conservation', in order to protect important species such as fungi.

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  Shop

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  The gift shop sells a wide range of English Heritage and Charles Darwin related gifts including books, souvenirs, jewellery, food and drink. The gift shop is located by the entrance to Down House. There is also a secondhand book shop located on the first floor.

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  Toilets

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  There are separate male and female toilets near the tearoom, the female toilet has a cubicle with a toddler seat insert for younger visitors. There is an accessible toilet, which includes a baby changing table. An adult changing table is also available at the property.

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  Dogs

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  Dogs are not allowed because Down House is a 'Site of Importance for Nature Conservation', meaning that it contains many important protected species such as fungi. Assistance dogs are welcome however.

  Please note that dogs should not be left unattended in the car park.

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  Exhibition

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  An award-winning exhibition on the first floor of the house covers Darwin’s life, his scientific work, and the controversy which it provoked. It features many previously unseen objects, with highlights including manuscript pages from the 'Origin of Species'; Darwin’s hat, microscope and notebooks; and a copy of 'Das Kapital' inscribed to him by Karl Marx. This exhibition can be accessed by the central stairs or by lift.

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  Gardens

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  Down House features a beautiful garden full of loose drifts of flowers, lush meadowland and mature trees. There is also a kitchen garden, including Darwin’s ‘Experiment Bed’, a hot-house, and beyond this, a wooded Sandwalk, where Darwin paced daily while working out his theories.

  No ball games are allowed on the site. However there is plenty of space for children to run around and play hide and seek.

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  Audio Tours

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  Video guides are free. Visitors are guided round Darwin’s family rooms by a hand-held multimedia tour, narrated by Sir David Attenborough and Andrew Marr. The audio tour also includes the extensive gardens – Darwin’s ‘outdoor laboratory’ and the place where he made many of his discoveries. A written transcript of the audio tour is available. Basic written guides are available in a range of languages including French, Russian, German, Japanese and Spanish.
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  Family Friendly

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  Baby Changing Facilities

  There are separate male and female toilets near the tearoom, the female toilet has a cubicle with a toddler seat insert for younger visitors. There is an accessible toilet, which includes a baby changing table. An adult changing table is also available at the property.

  Child Sized Portions

  Yes

  High Chairs

  There are 3 highchairs available in the tearoom as well as booster seats.

  Push Chairs Allowed

  We warmly welcome children and families at Down House. Pushchairs or prams are generally not allowed in the ground floor rooms. At busy times we may suggest that you leave them in the hall area.

  Toy / Dressing Up Box

  Children and adults can enjoy dressing up like Emma and Charles Darwin in the bedroom located on the first floor. Children’s toys such a chess, cards and a dolls house are located in the discovery suite which at times may be closed for school groups or special events.

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  International

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  Foreign Language Subtitles

  Basic written guides are available in a range of languages including French, Russian, German, Japanese and Spanish.
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  Commercial Photograph And Filming

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  English Heritage welcomes all photographers to our sites and we hope you will share your pictures with us on Flickr and Facebook. We do have some restrictions at certain locations, so if photography is your main reason for visiting, please call the site ahead of your visit to check if any parts of the site are restricted. We are keen to promote the use of our sites to location managers. If you are interested please go to (Filming Locations) for more information and contacts. English Heritage does not permit drone flying from or over sites in our care, except by contractors or partners undertaking flights for a specific purpose, who satisfy stringent CAA criteria, have the correct insurances and permissions, and are operating under controlled conditions.