the sandwalk
      The sandwalk. was an invaluable refuge for Darwin and his thoughts. No matter the weather, Darwin would walk the path at noon everyday. The sandwalk itself was across the home meadow from Down House on the Darwin estate. Although he used it the entire time he was at Down House, Darwin actually rented the sandwalk for 32 years (first from John Lubbock I and later from his son John II).

      In 1874, Darwin bought it from the younger Lubbock, who asked a pretty penny for the little strip of land. Their friendship suffered for it. I have included a map of the grounds of Down House below. It is taken from Figure 10 in The Darwin Legend by James Moore and originally appeared in Hedley Atkin's book Down, the Home of the Darwins.

water therapy
      In the early 1840s, Darwin desperately sought relief from the mysterious illness afflicting him. Dr. James Gully’s Water Cure Establishment in Malvern came highly recommended by a number of people close to him. Darwin was suspicious of the notion and read Gully’s book. The therapy apparently involved dousing the patient in cold water to improve the circulation and draw the blood supply away from the inflamed nerves of the stomach. Despite his initial reservations, Darwin became a true believer and depended on the therapy. He was desperate several years later when a scandal threatened Dr. Gully’s practice.