Sherlockian Sojourns #53: As Seen on Screen - “Rather an irregular proceeding” [SIGN]

 

DAY ONE 

It was time for the first multi-day sojourn of the year. The plan for the first two days was to visit locations from the Netflix series, ‘The Irregulars’, which I continue to have mixed views on.

Catching a mid rush-hour train, I made my way to London Euston, having time to dash and get a bacon roll from ‘Speedy’s’ before my train. My train left on time, but somehow lost time on the journey, meaning that I just missed my connection at Stoke-on-Trent (and there wasn’t another one for an hour). Therefore, I decided to swap the order of my two visits, waiting a short time before catching a train to nearby Longport.

Alighting, I made my way to the nearby Trent & Mersey Canal, walking along until I reached a bridge. Just on the other side was Milvale Street. The dentistry from ’The Irregulars’ Chapter Two: ‘The Ghosts of 221B’, was filmed at the dilapidated former calcination mill here, opposite number 12.

   

Continuing onto Port Street, I made my way to Middleport Pottery. The Pottery was commissioned by Edmund Leigh (1854-1924) of Burgess & Leigh, previously of The Hill Pottery, Burslem; and designed by Tunstall Architect Absalom Reade Wood (1851-1922). Practically all of the machinery was provided by local engineer, William Boulton. The factory was built in accordance with the work ethic of Victorian society – its original design reflects the refinement and efficiency of the pottery production and is as such a ‘model’ factory.

This location is best known from its appearance in 'Peaky Blinders: The Shock'  (Series 5, Episode 5) in a shoot-out scene starring Paul Anderson (who appeared as Colonel Moran in 'Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows' [2011]) as Arthur Shelby Jr. However, the bird chase from ‘The Irregulars’ Chapter One: ‘An Unkindness in London’ was also filmed here. The filming areas were free to visit, but I paid £7 entrance to get a fob to be able to visit the buildings on site.

Having taken photos of all the areas used in the chase, I used my fob to visit the Victorian Offices, Mould Store, Placing House & Bottle Oven, the Bath House, Steam Engine, and Lodgekeeper’s House.

 

 

I made my way back to Longport station where after a short wait I caught a train back to Stoke-on-Trent, then onto Longton, my base for the next couple of days. Dropping my excess baggage into my room at the Crown Hotel, I made my way up the hill to the Gladstone Pottery Museum. The museum is the only complete Victorian pottery factory from the days when coal burning ovens made the world's finest bone china, and enables visitors to experience what conditions were like for the men, women and children who worked at the centre of the world’s pottery industry.

The museum was turned into a bustling street to film ‘The Irregulars’ Chapter Four: ‘Both the Needle and the Knife’. The creepy taxidermy shop was also filmed here, as was the ‘Doctor Who’ story ‘The Ultimate Foe’, meaning that I had visited, with a friend, on a previous occasion.

 

 

 

Back at the hotel, I had a brief rest before catching a bus into central Stoke to watch ‘The Flash’, whose opening scenes briefly feature Kieron Hodgson, guest star in ‘The Irregulars’ Chapter Three: ‘Ipsissimus’. Returning back to the hotel, catching the last bus of the day, I watched some TV before turning in.

 

DAY TWO

Buying some breakfast from a nearby supermarket, I was on the platform in plenty of time for my 8.28 train to Crewe, and a return trip to Liverpool. The waiting time was spent with a local speaking to me at some length about his run-ins with an over-officious guard on the service (I didn’t ask). The train arrived on time, and no-one asked to see my ticket.

At Crewe it was a short wait for my next train, to Liverpool South Parkway, but on arrival there, it was only a three minute wait for the service to Mossley Hill. Alighting my third train of the morning, I made my way down a side road, and after a minimum of turns, found myself in Liverpool’s Sefton Park, and five minutes later was approaching my first destination - Sefton Park Palm House, an iconic Victorian Glasshouse and a Grade ll* listed building.

In 1896, Henry Yates Thompson, the eldest son of an important Liverpool banking family, gifted £10,000 to the city to fund the construction of the Palm House. The Liverpool Botanical Collection now housed within was founded in 1802 after two Liverpool doctors, Dr. Bostock & Dr. Rutter proposed the creation of a botanic garden to further scientific knowledge about the value of plants as sources of food, medicines, dyes and fibres. The Palm House appeared as the Aviary where the exciting climax of Chapter One of ‘The Irregulars’ took place, and as a Conservatory in Granada’s ‘The Cardboard Box’.

Entering the Palm House, giving a donation for its upkeep, and having taken multiple photos of the outside first, I went in search of the spiral staircase featured in the episode, finding it surrounded by foliage.

    

  

Leaving the Palm House, I made my way to an exit on the far side of the park, and along a side street until I reached St. Michaels Station, catching a train to Moorsfield station. From here it was a twenty minute walk to Regent Road, which appeared as a London Street (with added CGI elements) in ‘Sherlock Holmes’ (2009).

 

A short distance along Regent Road, I reached Salisbury Dock, which appeared as Docks in both Chapter One of ‘The Irregulars’ and in ‘Sherlock Holmes’ (2009), with the Victoria Tower, which was constructed between 1847 and 1848 to commemorate the opening of the Dock, featuring prominently in the former. Unfortunately, due to works to build Everton FC's new ground, I was unable to get to the Tower myself.

A little further along Regent Road was Stanley Dock, which appeared London streets in ‘Sherlock Holmes’ (2009) and Granada’s ‘The Cardboard Box’, and as a London Dock in the former.

   

Retracing my steps to Moorsfield, the plan was to catch Merseyrail to Chester. However, due to track problems, I only got four steps before I had to get off the train, exit the station, and catch a Rail Replacement Service for the next three stops, before catching the train again (after quite a wait).

 

Finally at Chester, I made my way to the wonderfully named road, Flookersbrook. Number 2 (on the corner with Halkyn Road) featured as the home of Edith DuBois (Anna Maxwell Martin) in ’The Irregulars’ Chapter Six: ‘Hieracium Snowdoniense’.

      

It was then a walk into central Chester, and the old city walls, making my way to Abbey Square, and number 3, which was the home of a child who wakes in the middle of the night to find that all his teeth have been taken in ’The Irregulars’ Chapter Two. Billy and Leopold later attend the address to speak to the child’s father, but he refuses to speak to them.

I then walked a few steps to Abbey Gateway. The gateway was built of red sandstone as a gatehouse in around 1300 and its upper storey was rebuilt around 1800. It was formerly the main access to the precinct of St Werburgh's Abbey. It is thought that the architect was Richard Lenginour (Richard the Engineer). This was where the scene of Holmes and Watson entering Winchester Prison to visit Grace Dunbar in Granada’s ‘The Problem of Thor Bridge’ was recorded.

 

Having briefly visited the Cathedral, I made my way to Frodsham Street, which featured no less than seven charity shops for me to visit.

I then made my way back to the station, catching a train back to Crewe and then Longton. After all the day’s exertions, I spent the evening in my room, as I had another hectic itinerary the next day.