The best thing about visiting Woolsthorpe Manor was to see the actual tree from which the apple fell which inspired Sir Isaac Newton to discover the theory of gravitation. The story was recorded by William Stukeley who wrote :

For centuries people have made pilgrimages to see the tree. In 1820 the tree blew down after a storm. The broken wood was used to make small trinkets and snuff boxes. Fortunately the tree remained rooted and re-grew strongly. This is the tree that exists today. The other trees in the orchard are descended from this tree – a ‘Flower of Kent’. In fact there are many other descendants from it around the world.

The Orchard from the Kitchen Window

The National Trust have made a time-lapse movie of a year in the life of Newton’s apple tree. You can see it here. But the orchard itself is beautiful and full of the glories of nature.

I plan to visit Woolsthorpe again at different times of year – in summer visitors may picnic in the orchard. It’s slightly off my route to Norwich (a few junctions south of the A17 junction) but having visited once I know I’ll go again.