Downe, formerly Down, () is a village in
Greater London, England, located within the
London Borough of Bromley
The London Borough of Bromley () is the southeasternmost of the London boroughs that make up Greater London, bordering the ceremonial county of Kent, which most of Bromley was part of before 1965. The borough's population is an estimated 332,3 ...
but beyond the London
urban sprawl
Urban sprawl (also known as suburban sprawl or urban encroachment) is defined as "the spreading of urban developments (such as houses and shopping centers) on undeveloped land near a city." Urban sprawl has been described as the unrestricted growt ...
. Downe is south west of
Orpington
Orpington is a town and area in south east London, England, within the London Borough of Bromley. It is 13.4 miles (21.6 km) south east of Charing Cross.
On the south-eastern edge of the Greater London Built-up Area, it is south of St Ma ...
and south east of
Charing Cross. Downe lies on a hill, and much of the centre of the village is unchanged; the former village school now acts as the village hall. The word Downe originates from the Anglosaxon word ''dūn'', latterly ''down'', hence the South and North Downs. In April 1965, it (and the remaining part of
Orpington Urban District
Orpington was an English local government district in north west Kent from 1934 to 1965 around the town of Orpington. It was a suburb of London, but formed part of the Metropolitan Police District. Most of the former area of the urban district i ...
Council), which was abolished, were transferred from the
historic county of
Kent
Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...
and placed within the newly created
London Borough of Bromley
The London Borough of Bromley () is the southeasternmost of the London boroughs that make up Greater London, bordering the ceremonial county of Kent, which most of Bromley was part of before 1965. The borough's population is an estimated 332,3 ...
.
Partial History
Lord Simon de
Manning
Manning (a.k.a. Mannion, Manning) is a family name.
Origin and meaning
Manning is from an old Norse word — manningi — meaning a brave or valiant man; and one of the first forms of the name was Mannin; another cartography was Mannyg ...
, a former Lord of the Manor for
Kevington, London, and holder of the land which now includes Downe, was a Grandson of Rudolph de Manning,
Count Palatine
A count palatine (Latin ''comes palatinus''), also count of the palace or palsgrave (from German ''Pfalzgraf''), was originally an official attached to a royal or imperial palace or household and later a nobleman of a rank above that of an or ...
, (who married Elgida, aunt to King
Harold I
Harold I (died 17 March 1040), also known as Harold Harefoot, was King of the English from 1035 to 1040. Harold's nickname "Harefoot" is first recorded as "Harefoh" or "Harefah" in the twelfth century in the history of Ely Abbey, and accordin ...
, of England); he was the royal
Standard Bearer
A standard-bearer, also known as a flag-bearer is a person (soldier or civilian) who bears an emblem known as a standard or military colours, i.e. either a type of flag or an inflexible but mobile image, which is used (and often honoured) as a ...
to King
Richard the Lionheart
Richard I (8 September 1157 – 6 April 1199) was King of England from 1189 until his death in 1199. He also ruled as Duke of Normandy, Aquitaine and Gascony, Lord of Cyprus, and Count of Poitiers, Anjou, Maine, and Nantes, and was overl ...
, who carried the royal Standard to Jerusalem in 1190, during the
First Crusade
The First Crusade (1096–1099) was the first of a series of religious wars, or Crusades, initiated, supported and at times directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The objective was the recovery of the Holy Land from Islamic r ...
. In England, the forms Earl
Palatine
A palatine or palatinus (in Latin; plural ''palatini''; cf. derivative spellings below) is a high-level official attached to imperial or royal courts in Europe since Roman times. and Palatine Earldom are preferred.
As well as Downe, (formerly 'Down'), the Manning's Kevington Manor included the areas which later became
Berry's Green,
Luxted
Luxted is a hamlet in the London Borough of Bromley, located to the south of Downe. The area is rural, noted for its abundance of woods and grasslands.Willey, Russ. ''Chambers London Gazetter'', p 307-308.
It is a part of the largest ward in Grea ...
,
Single Street,
Westerham
Westerham is a town and civil parish in the Sevenoaks District of Kent, England. It is located 3.4 miles east of Oxted and 6 miles west of Sevenoaks, adjacent to the Kent border with both Greater London and Surrey.
It is recorded as early ...
Hill, and
Leaves Green
Leaves Green is a village in Greater London within the London Borough of Bromley.
The village lies on the Bromley to Westerham road ( A233), adjacent to the north-western perimeter of Biggin Hill Airport. It is some south of Bromley and nort ...
, which form, collectively, (excluding Kelvington), the
Darwin (ward)
Darwin is a ward of the London Borough of Bromley, named after Charles Darwin, who lived and worked in the ward for 40 years.
Geography
It is the largest ward in Greater London, covering a very rural area including Downe, Cudham, Leaves Green, ...
, Greater London's largest electoral Ward.
When
Charles Darwin
Charles Robert Darwin ( ; 12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) was an English naturalist, geologist, and biologist, widely known for his contributions to evolutionary biology. His proposition that all species of life have descended ...
moved there in 1842, the village was still known as Down.
Its name was changed later in the 1940s to Downe, to avoid confusion with
County Down in Ireland.
Darwin
Charles Darwin
Charles Robert Darwin ( ; 12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) was an English naturalist, geologist, and biologist, widely known for his contributions to evolutionary biology. His proposition that all species of life have descended ...
lived in
Down House for 40 years, from 1842 until he died there in 1882. He became a close friend of
Sir John Lubbock, 3rd Baronet
Sir John William Lubbock, 3rd Baronet FRS (26 March 1803 – 21 June 1865) was an English banker, barrister, mathematician and astronomer.
Life
He was born in Westminster, the son of Sir John William Lubbock, of the Lubbock & Co bank. He w ...
, who lived nearby at the Lubbock's
High Elms estate on the other side of the village. A favourite place of Darwin's was
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 (SSSI) together with the neighbouring High Elms Country ...
, now a
nature reserve
A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or ...
and
Site of Special Scientific Interest, and several members of his family are buried in the graveyard of
St Mary's Church.
Down House and the surrounding area has been nominated by the
Department of Culture, Media and Sport
, type = Department
, logo = Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport logo.svg
, logo_width =
, logo_caption =
, seal =
, seal_width =
, seal_caption =
, picture = Gove ...
to become a
World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
. However, this decision has been deferred.
Local politics
Since 2019, the local Member of Parliament has been
Gareth Bacon
Gareth Andrew Bacon (born 7 April 1972) is a British politician who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Orpington since 2019. A member of the Conservative Party, he was a member of the London Assembly from 2008 until he stood down ...
of the
Conservative Party. By a numerical majority of 19,453 votes (38.5%),
Orpington
Orpington is a town and area in south east London, England, within the London Borough of Bromley. It is 13.4 miles (21.6 km) south east of Charing Cross.
On the south-eastern edge of the Greater London Built-up Area, it is south of St Ma ...
is the safest Conservative Parliamentary seat in London.
One councillor is elected every four years to
Bromley London Borough Council
Bromley London Borough Council is the local authority for the London Borough of Bromley in Greater London, England. It is one of 32 London borough councils.
History
There have previously been a number of local authorities responsible for the Bro ...
. To date, the Darwin ward has only been represented by representatives from the Conservative Party.
It is the largest Greater London Ward, and includes
Berry's Green,
Single Street,
Luxted
Luxted is a hamlet in the London Borough of Bromley, located to the south of Downe. The area is rural, noted for its abundance of woods and grasslands.Willey, Russ. ''Chambers London Gazetter'', p 307-308.
It is a part of the largest ward in Grea ...
,
Leaves Green
Leaves Green is a village in Greater London within the London Borough of Bromley.
The village lies on the Bromley to Westerham road ( A233), adjacent to the north-western perimeter of Biggin Hill Airport. It is some south of Bromley and nort ...
, and
Cudham.
Buckston Browne Farm
![Buckston Browne Farm, Downe Kent](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a6/Buckston_Browne_Farm%2C_Downe_Kent.JPG)
Downe is the location of Buckston Browne Farm, built in 1931 as a surgical research centre by the
Royal College of Surgeons
The Royal College of Surgeons is an ancient college (a form of corporation) established in England to regulate the activity of surgeons. Derivative organisations survive in many present and former members of the Commonwealth. These organisations a ...
(RCS). In the 1980s, the farm caused controversy because of its use of
vivisection
Vivisection () is surgery conducted for experimental purposes on a living organism, typically animals with a central nervous system, to view living internal structure. The word is, more broadly, used as a pejorative catch-all term for Animal testi ...
techniques, and in August 1984 it was raided by
anti-vivisection activists.
The farm has now been made into four houses.
Scouting
There are two scout campsites in the Downe area:
* The
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, Greater London. It provides camping and indoor accommodations for Scouts and Guides.
The Downe ...
consisting of of woodland and open fields is just outside the village.
* The
Greenwich
Greenwich ( , ,) is a town in south-east London, England, within the ceremonial county of Greater London. It is situated east-southeast of Charing Cross.
Greenwich is notable for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich ...
(one of the Districts of the
Greater London South Scout county) District campsite is also nearby.
Transport
![Bus 146 in Downe 2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6c/Bus_146_in_Downe_2.jpg)
Downe, being in the county of Greater London, is still under
Transport for London remit despite being outside the metropolis. It is served by several
London Buses bus services from London but overall has limited connections into London. There are no rail links to the village (nearest stations: Orpington, Bromley and Hayes), but it is served by two hourly bus routes:
146 - Bromley North to Downe via Old Hayes and Keston;
R8 – Biggin Hill to Orpington via Downe and Green Street Green;
Notable people
*
Bill Hunter Christie (1922-1997), lobbyist for the Falkland Islanders
*
Charles Darwin
Charles Robert Darwin ( ; 12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) was an English naturalist, geologist, and biologist, widely known for his contributions to evolutionary biology. His proposition that all species of life have descended ...
(1809–82), biologist, naturalist and geologist
*
Horace Darwin
Sir Horace Darwin, (13 May 1851 – 22 September 1928), was an English engineer specializing in the design and manufacture of precision scientific instruments. He was a Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge.
Personal life and education
Dar ...
(1851–1928), civil engineer and Fellow of
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any college at either Cambridge or Oxford. ...
*
Nigel Farage
Nigel Paul Farage (; born 3 April 1964) is a British broadcaster and former politician who was Leader of the UK Independence Party (UKIP) from 2006 to 2009 and 2010 to 2016 and Leader of the Brexit Party (renamed Reform UK in 2021) from 2 ...
(born 1964), former leader of
UKIP
The UK Independence Party (UKIP; ) is a Eurosceptic, right-wing populist political party in the United Kingdom. The party reached its greatest level of success in the mid-2010s, when it gained two members of Parliament and was the largest p ...
and Member of
European Parliament
The European Parliament (EP) is one of the legislative bodies of the European Union and one of its seven institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union (known as the Council and informally as the Council of Ministers), it adopts ...
for
South East England
South East England is one of the nine official regions of England at the first level of ITL for statistical purposes. It consists of the counties of Buckinghamshire, East Sussex, Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire, Berkshi ...
.
*
Charles Hayes (1678–1760), mathematician and chronologist
*
John Lubbock (1803–65), banker, barrister, mathematician and astronomer
*
John Lubbock (1834–1913), banker, biologist, archaeologist and
Liberal
Liberal or liberalism may refer to:
Politics
* a supporter of liberalism
** Liberalism by country
* an adherent of a Liberal Party
* Liberalism (international relations)
* Sexually liberal feminism
* Social liberalism
Arts, entertainment and m ...
politician
*
Mark Lubbock
Mark Hugh Lubbock (17 November 1898 – 10 November 1986) was a British conductor and composer, especially of operetta and light music.
Life
Lubbock was born in Downe, Kent, the son of Hugh Nevile Lubbock and Margaret Tiarks. His grandfather ...
(1898–1986), conductor and composer of operetta and light music
*
Herbert Newton Casson (1869–1951), journalist and author, founder of ''Efficiency'' magazine
*
Olive Willis
Olive Margaret Willis (26 October 1877 – 11 March 1964) 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
Willis was born in 1877 at 65 Thistl ...
(1877–1964), founder of
Downe House School
Downe House School is a selective independent girls' day and boarding school in Cold Ash, a village near Newbury, Berkshire, for girls aged 11–18.
The ''Good Schools Guide'' described Downe House as an "Archetypal traditional girls' full ...
Nearest places
*
Cudham
*
Berry's Green
*
Luxted
Luxted is a hamlet in the London Borough of Bromley, located to the south of Downe. The area is rural, noted for its abundance of woods and grasslands.Willey, Russ. ''Chambers London Gazetter'', p 307-308.
It is a part of the largest ward in Grea ...
*
Single Street
*
Farnborough
*
Keston
Keston is a village in Greater London, England, located within the London Borough of Bromley, Greater London. Prior to 1965 it was withing the historic county of Kent. It is part suburban, part rural in nature and lies on the edge of Hayes Com ...
*
Orpington
Orpington is a town and area in south east London, England, within the London Borough of Bromley. It is 13.4 miles (21.6 km) south east of Charing Cross.
On the south-eastern edge of the Greater London Built-up Area, it is south of St Ma ...
References
External links
Audio tour of Downe and Down HouseDarwin at Downe - World Heritage Site nominationHomepage of Stage Door Theatre Group, Downe
{{authority control
Areas of London
Districts of the London Borough of Bromley
Villages in the London Borough of Bromley
Former civil parishes in the London Borough of Bromley