Woolsthorpe

Woolsthorpe is a village and civil parish in Lincolnshire, England. It forms part of the civil parish of Colsterworth and Woolsthorpe in the South Kesteven district, located in rural eastern Lincolnshire near Colsterworth and the A1 road. The surrounding area is agricultural, with cottages and small farms.

Woolsthorpe is best known for Woolsthorpe Manor, a National Trust property that preserves a historic house and grounds on the site long associated with Isaac Newton. Newton was born there in 1642, and the property has become a focal point for his life and work. Although the original birth dwelling no longer stands, the manor complex preserves features and exhibits related to Newton’s early life and the development of his scientific ideas. The building and grounds also include displays about gravity, light and optics.

In the orchard at Woolsthorpe Manor grows a famous apple tree, popularly linked to the anecdote of Newton observing an apple fall and formulating his theory of gravitation. The tree currently on site is considered a descendant of the original.

Woolsthorpe remains a rural locality with an agricultural character, and Woolsthorpe Manor attracts visitors from around the country and abroad as part of the National Trust’s portfolio of historic houses. The village is part of Colsterworth and Woolsthorpe parish and lies within the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire.