Sherlockian Sojourns #36: 'Sherlock's South Wales

After 2 days’ rest since East Anglia, it was time for another three-day expedition. This time to South Wales ‘Sherlock’ locations.

 

Day 1 – ‘I enter the Village’

I was aware that I had a very short time for my first South Wales transport connection, and every seemed to be going well with my train from London Paddington keeping to the advertised timetable until we reached my final stop of Newport, where for no discernible reason it stopped for 10 minutes outside the station. I therefore dashed out of the station to see my required #50 bus shoot past. I therefore walked to the Market Square bus stop to catch a #50A running half an hour later. However, as this left late and lost more time on its journey, I decided to remain on it to Caerphilly rather than get off to in search of Sherlock & Mycroft’s boyhood home (in ‘Sherlock’ at least), ‘Musgrave Hall’ and likely miss my next connection.

From Caerphilly, it was a train to Cardiff Central, then an X2 bus to a stop just outside St. Hilary, on the outskirts of Cowbridge. A ten minute walk down a country lane brought to the village and The Bush Inn, which appeared as the ‘Cross Keys Pub’ in ‘Sherlock: The Hounds of Baskerville’.

   

 Just over the road was St. Hilary’s Church, which as well as appearing in ‘THoB’, also appeared in ‘Doctor Who: Village of the Angels’, with St. Hilary being said village.

 

 

I therefore also took photos of a nearby field, one of the cottages, and several country lanes which also appeared in ‘VotA’.

    

   

Returning to the bus stop, I was just in time for a bus into Bridgend (where I had previously set out in search of the beach from ‘Sherlock: The Final Problem’). I then caught a train into Swansea which was to be my base. Finding my accommodation with limited wrong turns, I settled in for a night watching television.

 

 

Day 2 – ‘Sherringford Prison’

Back at Swansea Station, my train to Carmarthen was delayed, and kept getting more delayed. Luckily unlike the previous day, I had a very long wait for my connecting train, and so ended up splitting the waiting between Swansea and Camarthen. Finally, I was sitting on a train to Tenby

On arrival, I made my way up to the centre, along the High Street, then down onto the beach, making my way to the steps to St. Catherine’s Island and Fort. The island is tidal and therefore only accessible at low tide (until 1pm on this day). During the Napoleonic Wars, a chain of coastal fortifications were built around the UK, with St. Catherine’s Island chosen as a site due to its prominence and proximity to the ports of Pembroke and Milford. Work began in 1867 and was completed in 1870, but the fort was not fully armed for a further 16 years, by 1886 it had its full armament of 6 x 7inch R.M.L’s housed in the casemate areas of the gun deck and 3 x 9inch R.M.L’s on roof battery.

The Fort appeared in ‘Sherlock: The Final Problem’ as ‘Sherringford Prison’ where Eurus is imprisoned. [It was also used for a 1964 BBC dramatisation of the 'The Count of Monte Cristo']  Having paid my £5 entrance fee, I climbed some very steep and slippery steps up to the Fort, having to look straight ahead as I crossed a metal bridge through which you could see the sea. On entry to the Fort, I purchased a guidebook for £1. The displays included one referencing ‘Sherlock’ and how a member of the crew had discovered a previously unknown Well, which is now used for donations.

 

  

   

Having walked around both levels of the Fort, I was slightly disappointed that there was currently no access to the roof of the Fort which also appeared in the episode (but that there future plans to allow access once appropriate money has been raised via donations). I therefore settled in for part of the looped 30 minute slide-show giving the full history of the Island and Fort. 

From 1968, the Island hosted a zoo, including monkeys, bush babies, porcupines, parrots, badgers, foxes and civet cats, along with livestock such as goats and sheep. During the 1970s, it is said that a local hotel painted a giraffe sticking its head out of the top of the Fort, on their front window to advertise the zoo. This stated the rumour that the Fort's zoo were getting a giraffe, despite how ridiculous this may seem, and nearly impossible logistically. Hearing this many times from their visitors, it is said that zoo staff decided to satisfy the constant queries by producing the sign below.

 

It was time to return to the beach, which I did, passing an unusual sign, moving very slowly and carefully. It was then a hike to the top of nearby hill for more photos of the Fort, still not yet covered on all sides by water. The hill also featured a memorial to Queen Victoria's consort, Prince Albert, and the remains of Tenby Castle.

  

A fifteen minute walk took me to a multi-storey car park which was the start of a ‘Treasure Trails – Detective Trail’ which I had purchased as part of 3 for 2 deal with a ‘Sherlock Holmes’-themed one. This took just under two hours and introduced me to sites in Tenby that I would probably have missed otherwise – the 1892 entrance to the former town mortuary, the Fishermen’s Church, and a holiday cottage regularly visited by Roald Dahl. As part of this I again found myself at the summit of the hill, taking photos of the island completely surrounded by the sea.

Walking back to the Station, I stopped for an ice cream and to buy some weighed sweets. Two trains pulled in at the Station, but bizarrely both decided to change direction, meaning that all those waiting had to change platforms. Back in Swansea (with no need to change trains this time), I retired to my lodgings very tired.

 

 

Day 3 – ‘Musgrave Hall’

Following a poor night’s sleep (due to a baby crying and the bin men coming ridiculously early), I spent the morning wandering around Swansea's Plantasia Tropical Zoo, which appeared in ‘Doctor Who: The Doctor’s Daughter’ and the Series 5 Silurian story, ‘Cold Blood’.

I then caught a train to Newport, being in plenty of time for the #50A, alighting at Lower Machen and walking half-a-mile back to Plas Cottages which appeared as ‘Musgrave Hall’ in ‘Sherlock: The Final Problem’. There was an entry-phone, so I settled for taking photos from the driveway.

    

Photos taken, and I was retracing my steps and catching a bus back into Newport. After browsing a few shops, it was time to wearily catch my train back to London Paddington.