London  - Even in the deep midwinter a trip to England can begin with the sound of birds merrily twittering or even with the glimpse of an iguana.

Visitors can tour a hothouse full of exotic plants or squat patiently in front of a burrow in the ground in the hope of seeing some lowly earthworms.

All this and much more is on offer to those who want to follow in the footsteps of evolutionist Charles Darwin.

For February marks the bicentennial celebration of the great naturalist's birth and all over Britain fresh attractions will be vying with each other for the attention of visitors.

A trip to Darwin's home country gives an insight into the character of the man who unveiled the theory of natural selection and caused an uproar with his iconoclastic idea that humans are descended from chimpanzees.

In any case, a journey across the English Channel is certainly cheaper than visiting the Galapagos Islands in the Pacific where Darwin's five-week stay culminated in his revolutionary book, the Evolution of Species.

A special exhibition at the Natural History Museum in London offers a fine overview of Darwin's life and works. The "Big Idea" postulated by Darwin is illustrated by material drawn from collections all over the world.

To a synthesized soundtrack of ocean waves and chirping birds, there are giant turtles to be admired along with the pointed-nosed frog, named Rhinoderma darwinii after the man himself, and stuffed examples of the finch, the bird whose behaviour Darwin observed during his famous voyage on board HMS Beagle (1831-1836) before first formulating his evolution theory.

On a table is an open book with the words, "I think", written above the first-known sketch by Darwin of an evolutionary tree which describes the relationships among groups of organisms.

It is amazing to think that what many people might mistake for a harmless doodle would turn man's relationship with God and his understanding of the world upside down. Darwin's study has also been faithfully recreated.

The real thing is to be found some 25 kilometres away in the Kentish village of Downe just south of London. Charles spent most of his time there living comfortably with his wife Emma. The building is currently being restored to its former glory in time for his 200th birthday on February 12.

"We are keen to show that Darwin has a very "human" side and was not a mad professor," said museum director Richard Smith-Gore while running his hand over a billiard table which Darwin liked to play at in idle moments. Seven children once roamed this country home. "The Darwins were a very sociable and happy family, this wasn't a strict Victorian household," Smith-Gore.

Darwin was nevertheless able to concentrate on his work amid the hubbub of children running around the place. For contemplation, he would go on one of his ritual daily walks on the "thinking path" laid out in the grounds of his home. Visitors can stroll along the sandy trail through shady woods too.

Those seeking inspiration from the underworld might like to visit a hole in the kitchen garden where Darwin used to observe earthworm behaviour. He gathered handfuls of them which he kept in various containers around the house. He liked to observe their reaction to music in a bid to determine whether the creatures had a certain kind of intelligence. Darwin spent his latter years at Downe until his death in 1882.

Darwin was born on February 12, 1809 in the central English city of Shrewsbury and it was there in 1831 that he found himself waiting in a pub called The Lion for the carriage which would take him to the Beagle and on a journey which was to change his life.

Nowadays, more or less everything in what is now a Shrewsbury restaurant reminds visitors of those olden days. The men here lounge in armchairs with their noses buried in newspapers, occasionally reaching out to take a swig of beer from a glass or to stir a cup of tea. It is easy to see why Darwin remarked on his return from the Galapagos Islands: "The entire of England seems to have changed, apart from the good old town of Shrewsbury and its inhabitants."

The town is easily explored on foot and visitors can wander the streets to Darwin's boarding school which he attended for nine years after the death of his mother. He slept in a dormitory with as many as 30 other boys. Over the years he came to loathe the smell of damp laundry and the meagre school meals.

The young Darwin started collecting animal specimens in the park along the River Severn and the interest soon turned into a passion. "He was a great one for beetles and well known for his enthusiastic collecting," said Jon King, who is in charge of the 2009 Darwin Festival which includes guided city walks and readings from Darwin's works.

It seems as though Shrewsbury has only just woken up to the mighty stature of its famous son.

"I suppose they needed the 200th birthday to really appreciate the legacy," said King. That might explain why the Mount, the town house where Darwin was born, has been inaccessible to the public for decades. The aim is to turn it into a museum as part of a Darwin Master Plan but funds have so far been lacking.

A trip to the city of Oxford, west of London is another "must" for Darwin fans. After the publication in 1859 of his theory as "The Origin of Species" it was the scene of a legendary spat between one of Darwin's staunchest supporters, Thomas Huxley, and bishop Samuel Wilberforce who attempted to pour scorn on Darwin's book.

Nearly 150 years later, the stage at the University Museum of Natural History is set for February 12 when the celebrated Darwin advocate and atheist Richard Dawkins will debate the same issue with the bishop of Oxford, Richard Harris.

Internet: www. darwin200. org, www. nhm. ac. uk, www. darwinatdowne. co. uk, www. darwinshrewsbury. org) (dpa)