Charles Darwin’s former home in Downe Village could join Westminster Palace and the Tower of London and become a World Heritage Site, after the Government announced it will formally nominate the estate to UNESCO.

The house and the surrounding landscape was inspiration for Darwin’s work and a test bed for his ground-breaking ideas.

After a failed attempt in 2006, a bid led by Bromley Council and English Heritage has now been accepted by the Department for Culture, Media And Sport and sent to UNESCO.

It will become the UK's only World Heritage nomination in 2009. It will take over a year to find out if the bid has been successful.

Culture secretary Andy Burnham said: "World Heritage Sites are usually associated with cultural landmarks like the Great Wall of China and Stonehenge or outstanding natural landscapes like the Grand Canyon National Park. But it is also essential to acknowledge scientific endeavour and discovery.

"Darwin's contribution to our understanding of the natural world is unrivalled.

"His life of science was based on meticulous research in and around his home and the surrounding farmed valleys.

"They remain - 200 years exactly after his birth - an inspiration to shape the thinking of future generations on our approach to biodiversity, ecosystems and the role nature can play in helping people adjust to the effects of climate change."

This year is the bicentenary of Darwin's birth and the 150th anniversary of the publication of On the Origin of the Species.