DOWN HOUSE. liii 



to ' Down,' " and this I think must have been the first sight of her future 

 home. It was bought for them by Dr. Darwin for about £2,200, and the 

 purchase was quickly completed, for they moved in on September 14, 1842. 

 ' Down was then ten miles from a station, and the whole neighbourhood 

 was intensely rural and quiet, though only sixteen miles from London 



Bridge.' 



The two accompanying plans, the data for which were obtained throug 

 the kindness of Major Leonard Darwin, will give a precise idea of the 

 extent of the property and of the plan of Darwin's home. Fig. 1 shows 

 the arrangement and extent of the grounds ; the figures indicate the 

 acreage of each part. Down House is seen to be situated at 565-7 feet O.D. 

 The plantation with the sand walk round it— Darwin's ' thinking path '— 

 with the dry chalk valley beyond, are depicted ; so, too, are the orchard, 

 gardens and hot-houses. In Fig. 2 is given a plan of the ground floor of 

 Down House, the dimensions of each room being indicated in feet. It will 

 be seen to be a commodious house, and remains just as Darwin lived in 

 it. He added a new wing— that which includes the ' New Study and the 

 New Drawing Room.' 



dS 



