On Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's birth anniversary, May 22, let's journey to the places connected with the prolific physician-author and his writings...
Long before Holmes stalked the streets of London, his creator was a young doctor in Portsmouth on England's southern coast, after a stint as a ship doctor on West Africa-bound SS Mayumba. Here Dr Doyle, who qualified at University of Edinburgh Medical School, in between seeing patients, began writing A Study in Scarlet.
The most iconic address in detective fiction, 221B Baker Street is the imaginary residence of Sherlock Holmes and Dr John Watson. Today, it houses the fascinating Sherlock Holmes Museum, where fans can explore a Victorian-style apartment filled with curiosities straight from the pages of Doyle’s wonderful stories
The south London road, in the Lambeth borough, made it into A Study in Scarlet, the first Sherlock Holmes novel, published in 1887. It’s the scene of the mysterious murder of Enoch Drebber, sparking the start of Holmes and Watson’s legendary partnership and a fascinating spot in Holmesian history.
Wild, misty, hauntingly beautiful Dartmoor was the perfect backdrop for one of Holmes' most thrilling adventures -- The Hound of the Baskervilles.
The Lyceum Theatre wasn’t/isn't just a glittering entertainment spot dating from Victorian London, it was also a rendezvous location for Holmes and Watson in The Sign of Four, when they help Miss Mary Morstan unravel the disappearance of her father.
Sir Arthur lived at Kilravock House, in South Norwood, from 1891 to 1894. It was here he wrote several key Holmes stories, including The Final Problem, where he temporarily “killed” Holmes. The house, at 12 Tennison Road, was a private residence and is now marked by a blue plaque honouring Doyle.
In The Valley of Fear (1915), Holmes investigates a murder at the ancient Manor House of Birlstone, a fictional estate in Sussex. The case reveals a complex backstory involving secret societies and betrayal. Birlstone was modelled on a grand home in Kent called Groombridge Place. The estate came into being in 1230 and the moated house was buit in 1662.
This waterfall, situated in alpine countryside, in the canton of Bern, was the dramatic site for Holmes’ fateful encounter with his nemesis, Professor Moriarty. In The Final Problem, the two men grapple and plunge into the roaring waters below... at least, that’s what readers were led to believe!