Downe, formerly Down, is a village in Greater London, England, located within the London Borough of Bromley, which formed part of the historical county of Kent until 1965, and is beyond London's contiguous urban area. Charles Darwin lived in Down House for forty years until his death in 1882. Downe is 3.4 miles south west of Orpington and 14.2 miles south east of Charing Cross.