Cellar tours to offer a spookier look at the life of famous doctor Erasmus Darwin - with video

Erasmus Darwin’s historical home n Lichfield is starting to hold monthly cellar tours.

Published Jan 31, 2020

CANNOCK COPYRIGHT EXPRESS AND STAR STEVE LEATH 08/01/2020..With video: Pic in Lichfield at the home of Erasmus Darwin (now a museum). Pic of Manager: Marie Burbage in the cellar, getting ready for an upcoming cellar tour (they only have a select amount each year). Erasmus used to disect the bodies of humans up inside the house infront of an audience, and it is thought that in this part of the cellar he would of kept the body before disection. They were the bodies of criminals that he would disect..

Erasmus Darwin House is the past home of Erasmus Darwin, the 18th-century physician, poet and inventor and grandfather of Charles Darwin.

The house is now a popular museum attraction in Lichfield that organises many educational exhibitions throughout the year.

The museum’s cellar tours will explore a section of the building not usually open to the public.

They will explore the history of the building and Erasmus’s own fascinating life.

It is suggested that during his career in medicine, Erasmus stored the bodies of criminals sentenced to death in Lichfield in the cellar after using them for dissection. The Medieval-era cellar was also used as living quarters for house staff and as a wine cellar.

The cellar tours will be held monthly between 11.30am-12.30pm and admission will cost £3.

Booking is recommended but not essential.