Monday 27 April 2015

Newton - a special year 350 years on

We visited Newton's House - Woolsthorpe Manor - during our UK tour, when we met with Starlearners as they were writing up their controlled assessments.  This year is 350 years on from Newton's 'Year of Wonders - annus mirabilis'.  In 1665, Newton made his way home as Cambridge University closed down with the Great Plague raging.  Undisturbed in his room upstairs (the top right window in the photo below) Newton confirmed his ideas about gravity and white light being formed from the spectrum of colours.

The picture below shows the famous apple tree (the original lies on the ground and from this old tree a new one has emerged).
The view below is the actual window that Newton used to create a spectrum of light.  A copy of his original drawing and explanation can be seen.
A house that we have always wanted to visit.  What a pleasure to see.  
The National Trust staff are fantastic!  The science exhibition is small, but absolutely brilliant.