Sherlockian Sojourns #24: ‘The Severn Valley Solution'

Having watched ‘Enola Holmes’, I was interested in what railway had been used for filming. Checks revealed it to be the Severn Valley Railway. Further checking revealed that three other Sherlockian productions had also been filmed on the railway (as had the BBC dramatisation of ‘The Box of Delights’ which enchanted me as a child, and which I rewatch as a Christmas tradition). A sojourn was therefore necessary.

I spent the previous day in Gloucester, where Covid-recovery plans meant that tours of Gloucester Cathedral Crypt (where part of ‘Sherlock: The Abominable Bride' was filmed) were still cancelled. However, I managed to see the parts featured in the ‘Harry Potter’ films, and in ‘Doctor Who’ story, ‘Fugitive of the Judoon’. Having taken photos outside the cathedral where ‘Fugitive’ and Tenth Doctor story, ‘The Next Doctor’, were filmed, I made my way to the Docks where ‘Without A Clue' filmed, before catching a coach to my base for the next few days, Hereford.

The next day I made my way by train from Hereford Station (where Holmes and Lestrade arrived to visit the younger McCarthy in Herfordshire Gaol in 'The Boscombe Valley Mystery') to Kidderminster, via Droitwich Spa. On arrival it was a short walk to the Kidderminster SVR station. Having shown by booking reference, I was given a wristband for the particular service that I had booked on. Having half-an-hour until my train left, I took photos of the station, and bought two guides to the railway. Kidderminster Station appears as ‘Basilwether Station’ in ‘Enola Holmes’, where Enola caught the train to London in search of her mother, and also met Tewkesbury for the first time.

 

Moving to the platform, I walked up to the engine and was delighted to find out that my train for the day was being pulled by GWR 2857 which featured in ‘Enola Holmes’. 

 

Finding my table for the day (L in Coach 8, just behind the engine), I settled in for the first ride of the day. The first stop was Bewdley Station, which featured as ‘Aspen Station’ in 'The Seven-Percent Solution', and as ‘Musborough Junction’ in ‘The Box of Delights’ (where Kay changes trains and meets Cole Hawking’s for the first time). (It also appears as part of stock footage used in ‘Doctor Who’ story, ‘Black Orchid’) Not getting off here, I took an ineffectual photo through the window.

 

The next stop was Arley Station, where I alighted. The station appeared as ‘Ferndell Station’ in ‘Enola Holmes’, where our heroine meets her brothers, Sherlock and Mycroft, off their train. It also featured as ‘Tavistock Station' in ‘Silver Blaze’, a 1977 TV dramatisation, starring Christopher Plummer & Thorley Walters. It was here that Holmes & Watson alighted on their way to Kings Pyland stables. Finally, it is ‘Condicote Station’ in ‘The Box of Delights’, where Kay meets Hawking’s again. It is also where Abner Brown sits on a train platform bench in the final episode.

    EH        SB

        BOD      BOD

Photos taken, I made my way to the nearby Severn Way, following the river back towards Bewdley. After ¾ miles, I reached the Victoria Bridge which my train had gone over twenty-five minutes before. This bridge is where Holmes pushes Watson’s new wife, Mary, from a train in ‘Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows’. The bridge is also featured in ‘The Seven Percent Solution’ as a border crossing checkpoint, smashed through by Holmes’ train. It is also here that Enola and Tewkesbury jump from their train as it crosses a bridge. However, a stonework bridge was CGI’d over the actual Victoria Bridge. Due to bend of the river it was difficult to get a good shot of the bridge.

 

  

Retracing my steps, I continued walking along the Severn Way, for a total of 3 miles, until after around an hour, I reached Highley Station, which features the SVR Engine Shed Museum, containing a number of locomotives. These included three used in Sherlockian productions – LMS Stanier 8F 48773 and LMS Ivatt Class 2 46443, which pulled the Pasha and Holmes’ trains respectively in ‘The Seven Percent Solution’; and GWR Small Prairie 4566 which was Holmes and Watson’s train in ‘Silver Blaze’ (and also appears in the final episode of ‘The Box of Delights’ and in ‘Black Orchid’).

 

    

Making my way to Highley Station, I caught 2857 to Bridgnorth (via Hampton Loade). Due to a change in timetable since I booked, and the train arriving 5 minutes late to Bridgnorth, I cancelled my plan to walk back to the Oldbury Viaduct, where Holmes manages to board the Pasha’s train and finds Lola (the walk was 15 minutes each way and the final train back left promptly in half-an-hour’s time. However, I would have travelled over it twice. I therefore stayed on the platform, buying a postcard in the shop of 2857 going over Victoria Bridge.

The train was on time, and slowly wended its way back through the valley. At Bewdley, we were ahead of time, so I had time to take several photos out of the window, the task made easier by the fact that the train was not as packed as it had been at the start of the day.

  SPS        BOD

  

BO

 

Back at Kidderminster, I had to run for my connection, catching it with seconds to spare. The next day, I travelled home via Hay-on-Wye where I purchased several Sherlockian books.