Down House, Kent In the care of English Heritage
AT 8.30 pm on August 31, 1927, the membership of the British Association for the Advancement of Science (BAAS) gathered in the auditorium of the Majestic Theatre in Leeds for the inaugural meeting of its annual conference. After a few preliminary formalities, the new president of the association, the anatomist Prof Sir Arthur Keith—who assumed his role from no less a figure than the Prince of Wales—stepped up to the podium to deliver an address entitled ‘Darwin’s Theory of Man’s Descent as it stands today’.
Sir Arthur explained that, 69 years before in 1858, when the BAAS had previously met in Leeds, its then president had used his address to argue that, although Man had clearly existed on earth for much longer than Biblical chronology suggested, it was absurd to argue that he was ‘merely a transmuted ape’. That lecture, Sir Arthur suggested, was the first salvo in a controversy that would fundamentally change perceptions of the origins of man; what he characterised intellectually as one of the ‘marvels of the 19th century’.
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Denne historien er fra July 21, 2021-utgaven av Country Life UK.
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Kitchen garden cook - Apples
'Sweet and crisp, apples are the epitome of autumn flavour'
The original Mr Rochester
Three classic houses in North Yorkshire have come to the market; the owner of one inspired Charlotte Brontë to write Jane Eyre
Get it write
Desks, once akin to instruments of torture for scribes, have become cherished repositories of memories and secrets. Matthew Dennison charts their evolution
'Sloes hath ben my food'
A possible paint for the Picts and a definite culprit in tea fraud, the cheek-suckingly sour sloe's spiritual home is indisputably in gin, says John Wright
Souvenirs of greatness
FOR many years, some large boxes have been stored and forgotten in the dark recesses of the garage. Unpacked last week, the contents turned out to be pots: some, perhaps, nearing a century old—dense terracotta, of interesting provenance.
Plants for plants' sake
The garden at Hergest Croft, Herefordshire The home of Edward Banks The Banks family is synonymous with an extraordinary collection of trees and shrubs, many of which are presents from distinguished friends, garnered over two centuries. Be prepared to be amazed, says Charles Quest-Ritson
Capturing the castle
Seventy years after Christian Dior’s last fashion show in Scotland, the brand returned under creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri for a celebratory event honouring local craftsmanship, the beauty of the land and the Auld Alliance, explains Kim Parker
Nature's own cathedral
Our tallest native tree 'most lovely of all', the stately beech creates a shaded environment that few plants can survive. John Lewis-Stempel ventures into the enchanted woods
All that money could buy
A new book explores the lost riches of London's grand houses. Its author, Steven Brindle, looks at the residences of plutocrats built by the nouveaux riches of the late-Victorian and Edwardian ages
In with the old
Diamonds are meant to sparkle in candlelight, but many now gather dust in jewellery boxes. To wear them today, we may need to reimagine them, as Hetty Lintell discovers with her grandmother's jewellery
