In April 1965, much of Orpington Urban District, including Downe, was transferred from the historic county of Kent and placed within the newly created London Borough of Bromley.

Lord Simon de Manning, a former Lord of the Manor of nearby Kevington, then in Kent, and holder of the land which now includes Downe, was a grandson of Rudolph de Manning, Count Palatine, who married Elgida, aunt of King Harold I, of England; he was the royal Standard Bearer to King Richard the Lionheart, who carried the Royal Standard to Jerusalem in 1190, during the First Crusade.

Down House and the surrounding area has been nominated by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport to become a World Heritage Site.

In the 2017 General Election, with a majority of 19,453 votes (38.5%),[contradictory] Orpington was the safest Conservative Parliamentary seat in London.

Downe is the location of Buckston Browne Farm, built in 1931 as a surgical research centre by the Royal College of Surgeons (RCS).

The village is served by London Buses routes 146 and R8 which provide connections to Bromley, Orpington and Biggin Hill.