Woolsthorpe Manor

Yesterday, I went to visit the family home and birthplace of Sir Isaac Newton. One of the greatest scientists the world has known, Newton’s achievements include describing universal gravitation, the three laws of motion, conservation of momentum and angular momentum, inventing the reflecting telescope, developing a theory of colour, formulating an empirical law of cooling, studying the speed of sound, and among other mathematical achievements, developing calculus.

Woolsthorpe Manor was Newton’s early childhood home and many of the drawings that he etched into the plaster walls have been preserved. Newton returned here when Cambridge University closed due to the plague, performing many of his most famous experiments in the bedroom upstairs, most notably his work on light and optics. The house is furnished with 17th century decor to give a sense of what life must have been like during that time. Some of the instruments similar to those he used in his optical experiments are displayed in the room where he developed his theories of colour and light.

Woolsthorpe Manor is also where Newton claimed inspiration for the theory of gravitation while observing an apple fall from a tree. This apple tree, or a descendant, still grows in the orchard in front of the manor house.

There is also a very nice hands-on science centre in an old barn which presents many of the ideas that Newton developed while living here. I forgot my camera; these pictures were taken on my mobile phone. I figured out how to connect via bluetooth to download the pictures from the phone. Overall, it was an enjoyable, inspiring afternoon.