End of Tenancy Cleaning Downe BR6

The name of this BR6 area derives from the Anglo-Saxon word “dun” which means down. The name was Down until after the 19th century. Downe has a historic village center that retained much of its original setting. This South East area is part of the historic county of Kent. St Mary’s Church is a Grade II listed building from the 13th century. The village hall is in the former school village.

Mathematician and Gray’s Inn member, Charles Hayes, lived in Downe. The founder of the Efficiency magazine, Herbert Newton Casson, is another former resident. Politician Nigel Farage was born here in 1964. Charles Darwin lived in Downe for 40 years. When he moved here in 1842, the village still had its old name. The nature reserve Down Bank was among his favorite places in the area. Downe Bank is a Site of Special Scientific Interest. It includes the ancient woodland Hangrove Wood. The chalk downland was called Rough Pell in 1840, however, Darwin knew it as the Orchis Bank because it had wild orchids.

Darwin worked on the evolution theory during his residence at the Down House. He lived in this house for 40 years until his death. Down House is now a Grade I listed building and it’s open to the public. In 1651, John Know bought land in Downe from Thomas Manning for £345. It is not known if the house was standing when Know bought the land, however, flint walls dating from that time suggest that it was Know who built the farmhouse. In 1653, the house passed to Know’s son, Roger. Mary is the last Know who owned the house. In 1743, the Bartholomew family came into possession of the house by marriage. Charles Hayes bought it in 1751. The highest window tax in Downe was paid in 1778 by George Butler who owned the house which was called the Great House at that time.