Sherlockian Sojourns #48: 'Enola Holmes' London'

As indicated in my reviews, I thoroughly enjoyed both ‘Enola Holmes’ films. I therefore decided to visit the London locations from both films. Although the second film had Hull standing in for several parts of London, in particular the chase scene (hopefully a future Sojourn), there were still enough to fill an entire day.

Appropriately my first port of call was Baker Street station, and after a short walk down Baker Street, then along York Street, I reached the first location, the Royal Oak Public House, on the corner of York Street and Enford Street. The Royal Oak appeared as the Albion Public House in ‘Enola Holmes 2’ (2022), where Enola (Millie Bobby Brown) helps a drunk Sherlock Holmes (Henry Cavill) get home. I had previously visited the pub at night when I had time to kill before going to see ‘A Sherlock Carol’, but it was good to get better photos in the light.

Continuing along Enford Street, I turned right onto Marylebone Road, passing the Landmark Restaurant used as the exterior of the restaurant where Sherlock (Benedict Cumberbatch) reveals himself to John (Martin Freeman) in ‘Sherlock: The Empty Hearse’.

Back at Baker Street, I caught the Jubilee Line to Westminster, making my way to Enola and Sherlock’s final destination, Queen Anne’s Gate, which stood in for Baker Street in ‘Enola Holmes 2’. Known for its Queen Anne architecture, the street has been home to notable public figures, companies, and organisations. #14 was home to the politician Sir George Shuckburgh-Evelyn from 1783–88, and the judge Sir Edward Vaughan Williams, from 1836 until his death in 1875; #34 was formerly the home of Edward Tennant, 1st Baron Glenconner, and from 1962-2013, home to St Stephen’s Club, a private member’s club; # 36 was the head office of the National Trust, until about 2004.  Through comparing screenshots, 221b was #28, or one of the two properties neighbouring it  (We don’t see him going through the door).

    

    

Retracing my steps, I made my way to the HM Treasury Building, 1 Horse Guards Road, in whose courtyard Sherlock and Mycroft waited for Enola, who attended in disguise, at the end of the first film. This is a working Government Office, and is not open to the public, save on occasional Open Days as part of the Open City initiative. (The next such open day will certainly be attended by me). I therefore had to take some distant photos through a gate.

   

 

Crossing the road, I entered St. James’ Park, where Enola’s regular bench on Lord Tewkesbury’s usual route to the Lords was, in ‘Enola Holmes 2’. It was here that she is found by Tewkesbury (Louis Partridge) munching on “not so old” Dundee Cake. The bench she was sitting on was a prop, the usual park benches being wooden. The park was very busy, and I found it difficult to find the exact location. I therefore took some general photos.

 

 

The Park also appeared in ‘Sherlock: The Sign of Three’, but the bench upon which Sherlock and John sat, on the south-side of Birdcage Walk across from the Guards Museum, was also a prop, and not a public amenity. Sherlock and John are also seen to cross St James's Park Lake over The Blue Bridge, affording a spectacular view of Whitehall and the London Eye to the east and Buckingham Palace to the west.

Exiting the park, I set out towards Piccadilly, and onwards to Berkley Square, where Enola called on Lord Tewkesbury at his London address in ‘Enola Holmes 2’. I identified Tewkesbury’s residence as being at #44, actually the Clermont Club, formerly one of Britain's finest private gaming clubs. The house was built in 1740 (to the design of the architect William Kent) by Lady Isabella Finch.

      

As outlined in a previous sojourn, according to Watson in ‘The Illustrious Client’, General De Merville lived at number 104. It was also here where Kitty Winter attempted to persuade his daughter Violet, to break off her engagement to Baron Gruner. Number 3 has been identified by scholars as the true location of the De Merville residence.

It was then  a twenty-five minute walk via Conduit Street, Oxford Street and Tottenham Court Road to another square, Bedford Square, which featured as a London square in ‘Enola Holmes 2’.

   

Sitting on a bench in the square, I took the opportunity to eat my lunch, before a short walk past Russell Square where John met Mike Stamford (David Nellist) in ‘Sherlock: A Study in Pink’, reaching Montague Street, which featured as a London street in ‘Enola Holmes 2’. Montague Street was also where Holmes lived immediately on coming down from University, and first set up as a consulting detective, according to ‘The Musgrave Ritual’.

A ten minute walk then took me to Great James Street. It was outside 30-31 Great James Street, looking south, that Enola’s mother, Eudoria Holmes (Helena Bonham Carter), blew up a pillar box in the name of women’s rights, in ‘Enola Holmes 2’. Even the bollards and checkerboard pattern on the front step are included in the shot. An added metal bin, post box, a muddy road and CGI’d church contributed layers to the filmed scene.

   

Retracing my steps to the main road, I turned into Bedford Row, which I had previously visited as it featured as Baker Street in ‘Mr Holmes’ (2015), making my way to Chancery Lane. After ten minutes, I reached Carey Street which featured as a London street in ‘Enola Holmes 2’. It also appeared as a London street in ‘Mr Holmes’.

     

 

Returning to Chancery Lane, it was only a two minute walk to the Maughan Library of King’s College London (previously visited six months before). The exterior of the building doubled as the Houses of Parliament in one of the final scenes of the first film (and repeated in the second film), where Enola and Tewkesbury speak through iron railings.

    

Continuing onto Fleet Street, I made my way down to Victoria Embankment, via the gateway seen at the start of ‘Sherlock Holmes’ (2009) when Inspector Lestrade (Eddie Marsan) & Watson (Jude Law) are heading towards the Cathedral.

Catching the District Line to Aldgate East, last visited as part of my Jack the Ripper sojourn, I made my way to Fournier Street which appears prominently in ‘Enola Holmes’ (2020). The red brick buildings at the east end of the street, are where Enola’s lodgings are located in the first film. A faded ghost sign and hanging washing add to the visual effect. The bollards in the film are also there in real life. The small building on the right replaced Hawksmoor Church. Edith’s tearooms were on the west side of the street, and Lestrade meeting Mycroft in a barbers’ in ‘Enola Holmes’ was also filmed on Fournier Street.

  

  

A planned jaunt to the Museum of the Home (formerly the Geffrye Museum) in Hoxton, which includes several Victorian room replications, had to be cancelled due to the time meaning that I would miss the final entrance time of 4pm by fifteen minutes. I therefore made my way to Liverpool Street Station for the brief journey to Bank, and then onto Waterloo, and home.

Sherlockian Sojourns #47: 'A Remarkable Little Drama' [ABBE]

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.