Downe
Encyclopedia
Downe is a village
in the London Borough of Bromley
in London
, UK.
Downe is 3.4 miles (5.5 km) south west of Orpington
and 14.2 miles (22.9 km) south east of Charing Cross
. Downe lies in a wooded valley, and much of the centre of the village is unchanged; the former village school now acts as the village hall.
lived in Down House
for 40 years, from 1842 until he died there in 1882. A favourite place of his was Downe Bank
, now a nature reserve
and Site of Special Scientific Interest
.
Down House and the surrounding area has been nominated by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport to become a World Heritage Site
. However, this decision has been deferred.
Downe is the location of Buckston Browne Farm, built in 1931 as a surgical research centre by the Royal College of Surgeons
(RCS). In the 1980s, the farm caused controversy because of its use of vivisection
techniques, and in August 1984 it was raided by anti-vivisection activists
.
The farm is currently being re-developed as a training centre.
•The Downe Scout Activity Centre
consisting of 86 acres (348,030 m²) of woodland and open fields is just outside the village.
•The Greenwich (one of the Districts of the Greater London South Scout county) District campsite is also nearby.
The nearest rail stations are:
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
in the London Borough of Bromley
London Borough of Bromley
The London Borough of Bromley is a London borough of south east London, England and forms part of Outer London. The principal town in the borough is Bromley.-Geography:...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, UK.
Downe is 3.4 miles (5.5 km) south west of Orpington
Orpington
Orpington is a suburban town and electoral ward in the London Borough of Bromley. It forms the southeastern edge of London's urban sprawl and is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-History:...
and 14.2 miles (22.9 km) south east of Charing Cross
Charing Cross
Charing Cross denotes the junction of Strand, Whitehall and Cockspur Street, just south of Trafalgar Square in central London, England. It is named after the now demolished Eleanor cross that stood there, in what was once the hamlet of Charing. The site of the cross is now occupied by an equestrian...
. Downe lies in a wooded valley, and much of the centre of the village is unchanged; the former village school now acts as the village hall.
Darwin
Charles DarwinCharles Darwin
Charles Robert Darwin FRS was an English naturalist. He established that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestry, and proposed the scientific theory that this branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process that he called natural selection.He published his theory...
lived in Down House
Down House
Down House is the former home of the English naturalist Charles Darwin and his family. It was in this house and garden that Darwin worked on his theories of evolution by natural selection which he had conceived in London before moving to Downe....
for 40 years, from 1842 until he died there in 1882. A favourite place of his was Downe Bank
Downe Bank
Downe Bank is a nature reserve owned and managed by the Kent Wildlife Trust in the North Downs, close to Downe in the London Borough of Bromley. It is a Site of Special Scientific Interest together with the neighbouring High Elms Country Park...
, now a nature reserve
Nature reserve
A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...
and Site of Special Scientific Interest
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
.
Down House and the surrounding area has been nominated by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport to become a World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
. However, this decision has been deferred.
Buckston Browne Farm
Royal College of Surgeons of England
The Royal College of Surgeons of England is an independent professional body and registered charity committed to promoting and advancing the highest standards of surgical care for patients, regulating surgery, including dentistry, in England and Wales...
(RCS). In the 1980s, the farm caused controversy because of its use of vivisection
Vivisection
Vivisection is defined as surgery conducted for experimental purposes on a living organism, typically animals with a central nervous system, to view living internal structure...
techniques, and in August 1984 it was raided by anti-vivisection activists
Animal Liberation Leagues
Animal Liberation Leagues were a network of animal rights organizations active in the UK in the 1980s. Whereas the Animal Liberation Front specialized in clandestine activity, mainly masked, at night, and involving small numbers of people, the Animal Liberation Leagues consisted of coordinated...
.
The farm is currently being re-developed as a training centre.
Scouting
There are two scout campsites in the Downe area:•The Downe Scout Activity Centre
Downe Scout Activity Centre
Downe Scout Activity Centre is one of the National Scout Activity Centres under the direct control of The Scout Association in Downe near Orpington, Kent. It provides camping and indoor accommodations for Scouts and Guides....
consisting of 86 acres (348,030 m²) of woodland and open fields is just outside the village.
•The Greenwich (one of the Districts of the Greater London South Scout county) District campsite is also nearby.
Transport
There are no rail links to the village, but it is served by two hourly bus routes:- 146 BromleyBromleyBromley is a large suburban town in south east London, England and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Bromley. It was historically a market town, and prior to 1963 was in the county of Kent and formed the administrative centre of the Municipal Borough of Bromley...
– Downe - R8 Biggin HillBiggin HillBiggin Hill is an area and electoral ward in the outskirts of the London Borough of Bromley in southeast London, United Kingdom.-History:Historically the settlement was known as Aperfield and formed part of the parish of Cudham...
- OrpingtonOrpingtonOrpington is a suburban town and electoral ward in the London Borough of Bromley. It forms the southeastern edge of London's urban sprawl and is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-History:...
.
The nearest rail stations are:
- OrpingtonOrpington railway stationOrpington railway station serves the town of Orpington in the London Borough of Bromley, and is in Travelcard Zone 6. Located in Crofton Road, the station is a 500m west of the southern end of Orpington High Street....
(5.5 mi (8.9 km); bus R8) - Bromley SouthBromley South railway stationBromley South railway station is a major interchange and station in Bromley town centre within the London Borough of Bromley in southeast London. It is in Travelcard Zone 5, and the station and all trains are operated by Southeastern...
(6 mi (9.7 km); bus 146) - Bromley NorthBromley North railway stationBromley North railway station is in the London Borough of Bromley in south-east London, in Travelcard Zone 4. The station and all trains serving it are operated by Southeastern. It is the terminus of the short Bromley North Branch Line from Grove Park....
(6.5 mi (10.5 km); bus 146)
Notable people
- Charles DarwinCharles DarwinCharles Robert Darwin FRS was an English naturalist. He established that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestry, and proposed the scientific theory that this branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process that he called natural selection.He published his theory...
, naturalist - Sir John Lubbock, 3rd BaronetSir John Lubbock, 3rd BaronetSir John William Lubbock, 3rd Baronet was an English banker, barrister, mathematician and astronomer.He was born in Westminster, the son of Sir John William Lubbock, of the Lubbock & Co bank. He was educated at Eton and then Trinity College, Cambridge, graduating in 1825...
, banker, barrister, mathematician and astronomer - John Lubbock, 1st Baron AveburyJohn Lubbock, 1st Baron AveburyJohn Lubbock, 1st Baron Avebury PC , FRS , known as Sir John Lubbock, 4th Baronet from 1865 until 1900, was a polymath and Liberal Member of Parliament....
, banker, biologist, archaeologist and LiberalLiberal Party (UK)The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
politician - Olive WillisOlive WillisOlive Margaret Willis was an English educationist and headmistress. She founded Downe House School and was its head for nearly forty years, from 1907 to 1946.-Early life:...
(1877–1964), founder of Downe House SchoolDowne HouseDowne House School is an independent girls' boarding school in Cold Ash, a village near Newbury, Berkshire, for girls aged 11-18.-History:Downe House was founded in 1907 by Olive Willis, its first headmistress, as an all-girls' boarding school...