Woolsthorpe Manor

Greetings! Today's adventure took us to Woolsthorpe Manor in Woolsthorpe-by-Colsterworth, near Grantham, Lincolnshire, England. Woolsthorpe Manor was the childhood home of Sir Isaac Newton. It is a National Trust Property these days and described as a seventeenth century yeoman's farmstead with a focus on sheep rearing. Isaac Newton was born on Christmas Day 1642 to recently widowed Hannah Ayscough. Newton was born very small and Hannah reportedly said he could fit into a quart pot. He was not expected to survive the night. Newton was a curious lad who had no interest in farm work and reportedly drove his mother crazy with all of his experimentation. Newton attended college in Cambridge, but returned home in 1666 during the plague which closed Cambridge University. He conducted many of his famous experiments at Woolsthorpe and it is the place where he reportedly saw the apple fall from the tree. Isaac Newton was an English mathematician, physicist, astronomer, theologian, and author who is widely respected as one of the most influential scientists of all time, and a key figure in the scientific revolution. His book Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica was first published in 1687, was the foundation of classical mechanics. Newton also made several contributions to study of optics. Newton never married. He died 1727 in London and is buried at Westminster Abbey.

Woolsthorpe Manor: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/woolsthorpe-manor

Woolsthorpe Manor:

Newton's Room:

Isaac's den:

Room where Sir Issac Newton was born:

Dining room:

Newton apparently was fascinated by spires, so he drew one on the wall in the kitchen:

He was also fascinated by windmills and attempted to draw one on the wall as well:

Kitchen:

Den:

Here is the famous apple tree, or least a descendent. The original tree laid roots about 400 years ago and the tree has been shown to visitors for over 240 years (some enterprising individual even carved the year they visited into the stairwell at the house, the year was in the 1700s). The original tree blew over in a storm and the current tree that we saw grew from roots in the original trunk. What kind of apples grow on the tree you might ask? Well, the species of apples is called "Flower of Kent." These types of apples are best for baking. Also, the apple didn't really hit Isaac in the head, he was apparently reading near the tree and saw it fall from the tree. Several decendents of the tree are located all around the world. Some small grafts of the tree were taken into space for growth experiments.

Little garden at the front of the house.

We enjoyed learning about Sir Isaac Newton's life and his contributions to science and math. Woolsthorpe Manor was another lovely National Trust Site. The Trust does a fantastic job with all of these properties.

On to the next adventure!