Woolsthorpe Manor

[colin2007]

Hi,

I am planning to visit Sir Isaac Newton`s birth place this weekend for the first time and I wondered if anybody could let me know how long it takes to see everything there. 

Thanks in advance

[damnut]

Hi Colin,

An hour, and a cuppa!   http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/woolsthorpe-manor/things-to-see-and-do/events/

[jambouk]

Colin, are you going as partnof the History of Astronomy outing? I'll be there.

James

[brantuk]

Yup - an hour or so would do it. The apple tree in the garden isn't "the" apple tree - but it's nice to think it is lol

[dph1nm]

The apple tree in the garden isn't "the" apple tree - but it's nice to think it is lol

Hmm, I thought the tree had definitely been documented as being there since around 1750, and is thought to be the same tree that was in the garden when Newton lived there 100 years earlier. Whether Newton was inspired by watching an apple fall from it is another matter!

NigelM

[brantuk]

I asked the house curators and they assured me it wasn't the one that inspired his gravity eureka moment. One would hope they know what they're talking about - but who am I to judge? There's certainly room for doubt cos it's not even labelled as you'd expect if it were the actual tree. The jury's still out I reckon.......

(It's got me curious now - time to research.... lol)

[brantuk]

Hmmmm.... two interesting newspaper articles on the subject:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lincolnshire-13392049

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/the-core-of-truth-behind--sir-isaac-newtons-apple-1870915.html

Looking at their website - the National Trust have certainly changed their story since I was last there (sometime in the early '70s when I used to visit a certain girlfriend in Woolsthorpe lol).

[colin2007]

Hi everybody

thanks for all the replies. Much appreciated!

Just fancy a science themed day out where it is not too expensive and my daughter and wife can enjoy too. Although a couple of hours drive from where I am I thought it would be nearer than say going to the Herschel Museum in Bath or the National Space Centre in Leicester

Not going as part of an History of Astronomy  outing. Your welcome to enlighten me on that one jambouk

[dph1nm]

Looking at their website - the National Trust have certainly changed their story since I was last there (sometime in the early '70s when I used to visit a certain girlfriend in Woolsthorpe lol).

We were there a couple of years ago and they certainly claimed it was Newton's tree then. Interestingly, various physics departments around the country are growing cuttings (there is one in my department in Durham) which claim to  be from Newton's original tree. I assume these came from the Manor, but I don't actually know that.

NigelM

[Andrew INT]

Also worth double checking that the house is open. On some days you can only go onto the grounds... as we found out once!

[jambouk]

Brief report of my trip there this last weekend:

Woolsthorpev2.pdf

[jambouk]

Colin, sorry, didn't get to see your post before the weekend. The SHA had their summer picnic there this weekend; it was my first SHA event. Met some fascinating people, and also really enjoyed the look around Woolsthorpe.

James

[colin2007]

Colin, sorry, didn't get to see your post before the weekend. The SHA had their summer picnic there this weekend; it was my first SHA event. Met some fascinating people, and also really enjoyed the look around Woolsthorpe.

James

Hi James

I thought it was a lovely place to visit. The staff were very helpful and the the science center was great fun too!

There certainly was a lot of SHA members there and I did some of you guys actually having a summer picnic in the sunny weather.

The only pain for us was travelling out of essex and back, we encountered two traffic jam`s which did put more extra time on our journey, so we seemed to spend more time travelling than visiting! But it was worth it! lol

[jambouk]

Sorry a out the traffic, but glad you also had a good day.

I still need to visit Jodrell Bank, the observatory in the Keilder Forest, William Herschel's home in Bath and Grenwich Observatory amongst others! Work just gets in the way

James

[Paul73]

Thanks James. I enjoyed your writup.

I'll have to make the trip.

Paul