Sherlockian Sojourns #82: As Seen On Screen – ‘Enola’s Ho(l)me’

West Horsley Place is a Grade I listed building in West Horsley, Surrey, a little to the east of Guildford. The timber-framed house dates back to the 15th century, and has 50 rooms. It came into the possession of Henry VIII in 1538, before Edward VI granted the house to Anthony Browne, Master of the Horse. In 1931, it was acquired by Robert Crewe-Milnes, 1st Marquess of Crewe, and his wife, the Marchioness of Crewe. The Marquess died in 1945 and, on her death in 1967, his widow left it to their daughter, Mary Innes-Ker, Duchess of Roxburghe (1915–2014), who closed much of the house, living in a five-room section.

When the 99-year-old Duchess died in 2014, it was "accidentally" inherited by her (then) 80-year-old grand-nephew, broadcaster and author Bamber Gascoigne, best known for presenting 'University Challenge' from 1967 to 1987. The Duchess was childless, but had numerous grand-nieces and grand-nephews. Gascoigne had no idea she had picked him to solely inherit the property, and learned of it when a solicitor contacted him after his great-aunt's death.

To raise money to restore the somewhat dilapidated 50-room house, Gascoigne arranged for the Duchess's possessions—some found under cobwebs in the closed-up sections of the house—to be auctioned by Sotheby's in London and Geneva, raising £8.8 million. He then subsequently transferred ownership of the house and estate to the West Horsley Place Trust, which holds regular guided tours and open days of the house and gardens. There are also eight further Grade II buildings on the estate, including two mid-19th-century dog kennels either side of the main entrance.

In more recent years, the house has become famous across the world as ‘Button House’ in five series of the BBC comedy series ‘Ghosts’ (2019-2023), with almost all scenes filmed onsite. It has also appeared in other productions including ‘My Cousin Rachel’ (2017) (featuring Sam Clafin), ‘Howard’s End’(2017), ‘Vanity Fair’ (2019) (which featured Matthew Baynton), and ‘Mothering Sunday’ (2021). However, it also appeared as the interior of Ferndell Hall, where Enola lives with her mother in 'Enola Holmes’ (2020)  (the exterior was Benthall Hall in Shropshire).

On most Fridays (and selected Saturdays) the Trust runs a ‘Filming Favourites’ tour twice daily with ‘Ghosts’ locations being the main focus, but ‘Enola Holmes’ being included in the itinerary. I therefore took a day off work, and caught a train from my local station to Horsley. From here it was a twenty-five-minute walk along very muddy footpaths to the Estate. Arriving early, I signed in at the shop, then wandered around a nearby courtyard, until 10.50am when I was told to be back. There was then some confusion with the volunteer who was taking us over to the house who erroneously believed that I was running the tour rather than taking it due to sharing a first name with the guide.

On the gravel in front of the house, standing where the fountain is in ‘Ghosts’, the guide introduced himself to the group of twelve and asked if everyone was here for ‘Ghosts’. A group who lived locally indicated that they had never seen it and just wanted to go round the house, and I took the opportunity to indicate my interest in ‘Enola Holmes’ locations, with the guide promising to point out all EH points of interest.

  

Entering the house, immediately to the left was the Stone Hall, a medieval Great Hall rebuilt in the early 1500s. This was used as the front room of Ferndell Hall, with a large amount of set dressing. To one side was a large board showing how the Stone Hall had been dressed for various productions including ‘Enola Holmes’.

    

Next, we moved into the Stone Parlour which featured as the art studio of Eudoria Holmes (Helena Bonham Carter), Enola’s mother.

     

Exiting the parlour, we moved to what until 1931 was the Dining Room, but the Duchess’ father added beautiful bookshelves turning it into a Library. It was as a Library that it appeared in ‘Enola Holmes’, being also the scene for a billiard game between Enola’s two brothers, Sherlock (Henry Cavill) and Mycroft (Sam Clafin). As we entered the guide picked up what seemed to be two books from a nearby shelf and asked me to hold onto them for him. Looking at them, they proved to be two empty boxes disguised as books. Having outlined all the main ‘Ghosts’ scenes recorded here, he moved onto ‘Enola Holmes’ and the scene where Eudoria is wildly throwing books over her shoulder, before gesturing to myself and saying “Two of those books are being held by my friend over there”. Having calmed down from the excitement, and taken another look at them (and a photo), I handed them round for everyone else to hold and look at. 

  

Exiting the Library, we made our way up the main staircase, past the stuffed bear from ‘Ghosts’, and into one of the upstairs bedrooms, which had featured as Enola’s bedroom. The room had been entirely repainted for the film, and wonderfully the Trust had decided to keep the new decoration. I therefore took multiple photos. The guide also highlighted that I was standing on the exact spot where Miss Harrison (Fiona Shaw) attempts to persuade Enola (Millie Bobby Brown) to attend her boarding school.

        

Next was the large Drawing Room, formed by inserting a floor halfway up the original Great Hall, probably in the brief period that the house was owned by Anthony Browne in 1547-1548. It was here that the Captain (Ben Willbond) suffered his heart attack in ‘Ghosts’ and where the Holmes siblings discuss the disappearance of their mother.

   

Passing the doll’s house from the ‘Ghosts’ opening credits (acquired when a member of the Trust saw it for sale online), we made our way down to the area outside the Stone Kitchen which was used for filming the ‘plague pit’ scenes in ‘Ghosts’.

Exiting the house, we made our way into the Gardens, to see some more ‘Ghosts’ locations, namely the bedroom window that the ghost of Lady Button (Martha Howe-Douglas) repeatedly falls from at 3am each morning, and the tree which Thomas Thorne (Matthew Baynton) dies under. The latter had seen better days (possibly due to too many ‘Ghosts’ fans taking away part of the bark as a souvenir).

  

Moving into the orchard, which as well as containing the wellhead where the ghosts all remember Mary, also represents the only outside ‘Enola Holmes’ filming onsite, being where Eudoria teaches Enola martial arts.

   

Exiting the gardens, the next filming tour was just entering the house, and once the area was clear, I got a photo in front of the ‘Button House’ door. 

Making my way back to the shop, I purchased some postcards and ‘West Horsley Place – Our Story’, before making my way back to Horsley Station. There proved to be problems with the trains, and so I wasted an hour in the few shops near the station, before finally catching a train home.