About

The museum at Normansfield in Teddington is situated in the former home of Dr John Langdon Down who brought a revolutionary and enlightened approach to the care of those with all forms of learning disability. His wife Mary, their sons and other members of the Langdon Down family managed Normansfield from 1868 until 1970. It later became an NHS hospital from 1951 until it closed in 1997.

Although Langdon Down’s name is most associated with the condition he recognised and was later called Down’s Syndrome, the majority of residents at Normansfield and the Royal Earlswood Asylum had a range of learning disabilities.

The museum will contribute to the public understanding of learning disability through events and educational activities. It will also celebrate the achievements of people with learning disabilities. Its policy is to acquire and conserve artifacts, documents, photographs and other materials with historical importance. It acts as the guardian of the memories, archives and records of those who lived and worked at Normansfield and make these accessible to visitors at the museum and on the website.

Collections and Archives

The museum includes the following:

Normansfield Collection and Archive
Records, documents and photographs of those who lived and worked at Normansfield. This includes documents detailing the development of the buildings, grounds and the Victorian theatre.

Royal Earlswood Asylum Collection
Artifacts from the Royal Earlswood Asylum near Redhill where Dr John Langdon Down was medical superintendent from 1855 to 1868.

James Henry Pullen Collection
Artifacts made by James Henry Pullen (1835–1916), a savant known as the Genius of Earlswood Asylum. On display are his ships, both real and imagined, including a model of Brunel’s Great Eastern. The collection also includes paintings and other objects.

Normansfield Theatre

Normansfield Theatre is a Grade II* Listed Theatre which was built originally as an entertainment hall in 1877 and completed in 1879.

Film/TV Location

The Langdon Down Centre was known as the theatre wing of the Normansfield Hospital, set up in 1868 by John and Mary Langdon Down.

 

All visits need to be booked in advance with the museum.

Group Visits:

Group visits to the Langdon Down Centre and Museum can be arranged for groups with 10-25 people.

The visits last around 90 minutes and include: A tour of the theatre and museum, an illustrated talk on the history of Dr John Langdon Down and Normansfield, short films, a walk outside in the grounds if the weather is fine.

Light refreshments can be provided.

Cost: £10 per person (minimum fee £100)

Time for visits: these are usually from 11.00am to 12.30pm on Mondays or Fridays

They can also create a visit to suit your particular interests or you can see the whole range of talks we offer here.

 

To arrange a group visit please contact:

E: info@downs-syndrome.org.uk

T: 0333 1212 300

 

Private Tours:

Private tours of the Museum and Theatre can be arranged which lasts approximately 90 minutes, this would normally be for groups up to 4 people with a fee of £15 per person.

 

Educational Visits:

Visits include talks on the history of Dr Langdon Down, Normansfield, the theatre, local history, tour of the building, social history of learning disability.

They offer schools and their pupils free visits to the museum and theatre.

Education visits are available for those at infant school to secondary school.

For older children they include discussion activities.

 

Educational visits can also be for those in further or higher education.

Visits usually last for 2 hours and include:

A tour of the theatre and museum, an illustrated talk on the history of Dr John Lanngdon Down and Normansfield, a short film about the life of James Henry Pullen, short archive films on Normansfield, work of the Down’s Syndrome Association and a short walk outside in the grounds if the weather is fine

 

Those coming from UK universities a donation is encouraged, those from foreign universities a charged £5 per person.