The first of four planned sojourns to Manor Houses in the Home Counties, began with one of my favourite stories, 'The Abbey Grange'. Making my way to London Waterloo, then Waterloo East, I caught a train to Chislehurst, and the station where Holmes and Watson arrived, following a summons from Inspector Stanley Hopkins. [I had previously visited the station many years before when visiting Chislehurst Caves, filming location for the 'Doctor Who' story, 'The Mutants'.]
Photos taken and I was catching a train back to Grove Park, arriving just in time to make my connection for the short ride to Sundbridge Park station. From here, I made my way to Sundbridge Park Golf Club.
Following a path through the course, I took care to avoid flying golf balls, finally reaching The Mansion at Sundbridge Park, a classical mansion with porticos, set in 300 acres of grounds (now partially a members only golf club), which has been converted into twenty-two luxury apartments.
Marsham, the location given to the Abbey Grange, does not exist but was the name of a landowner in this area. The building matches much of Watson’s description. There are classical porticos, French windows leading onto the lawn, a pond close to the house and a number of lodges. The building is the correct distance from Chislehurst railway station, and therefore Bernard Davies suggested this was the best candidate for the Abbey Grange.
'The avenue ran through a noble park, between lines of ancient elms, and ended in a low, widespread house, pillared in front after the fashion of Palladio. The central part was evidently of a great age and shrouded in ivy, but the large windows showed that modern changes had been carried out, and one wing of the house appeared to be entirely new’. [ABBE]
Making my way back to the station through the golf course, I passed the pond mentioned in the story, which now has a fountain in the middle of it.
‘There was a pond in the park, and to this my friend led the way. It was frozen over, but a single hole was left for the convenience of a solitary swan. Holmes gazed at it and then passed on to the lodge gate. There he scribbled a short note for Stanley Hopkins and left it with the lodge-keeper’. [ABBE]
On my way back to the station, I passed a sign featuring 'The Mansion'.
Back at the station, I had a short wait before catching a train back to Grove Park, which I used to eat my lunch. After another short wait at Grove Park, I caught a train to Sevenoaks. On arrival, I strode off on a half-hour walk to Knole, a country house and former archbishop's palace owned by the National Trust. It is situated within Knole Park, a 1,000-acre park, and the house ranks in the top five of England's largest houses, under any measure used, occupying a total of four acres.
On my arrival, I went to the Visitors Centre to hand over a voucher that gave me free entry. I then made my way to the purpose of my visit, the Stone Courtyard, which appears as the snow-covered courtyard of Reichenbach Castle in 'Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows' (2011), where all the carriages arrive. The spectacular castle itself straddling the Reichenbach Falls in the Swiss Alps, in which the climactic peace talks are held, was all CGI, and the castle interior was a studio set. Therefore, this courtyard was the only actual physical location.
The courtyard also appears in 'The Other Boleyn Girl' (2008) as the exterior of the Palace of Whitehall, and 'Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides' (2011) as a prison courtyard. Photos taken and I was showing my ticket to gain access to the house's Showrooms. The delights on show included a 12 foot long oak Billiard Table, portraits of Dr. Johnson and Jonathan Swift, and a bed made for James II which was only used by him very briefly before being bought by Charles Sackville who was then Lord Chamberlain and owner of Knole.
Having walked through all the rooms, I exited back onto the Courtyard, making my way to the Gift Shop and Bookshop, buying some postcards at the latter. Learning nothing from my visit to St. Paul's Cathedral, I decided to climb the seventy-seven steps of a steep stone spiral staircaseto the top of the Gateway Tower, for panoramic views of Knole Park.
Visiting two rooms on the way back down, I retired to the cafe for a warming Hot Chocolate and generous slice of Bread Pudding, I took the opportunity to have a short rest before making my way back into Sevenoaks, and the station, via a multitude of charity shops.
Travelling back into London, listening to the recent Radio 3 broadcast of 'The Hound of the Baskervilles' adapted with a score for orchestra by Neil Brand, I mused on a very full day.
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