Baker Street

Sherlock Holmes Museum -221B Baker Street, London walk-through tour

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• published: 02 May 2016
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Is it Jeremy Brett, Benedict Cumberbatch or Robert Downey Jnr..or is it the written works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle? Whichever Holmes is your favourite, you will want to visit The Sherlock Holmes Museum in London, the spiritual home of the great detective. The museum is located at 221b Baker Street, London (where else!) in a 4 storey Victorian house, built in 1815. Step through the door and you are transported back in time. The house is authentically decorated as if Sherlock Holmes and his companion Dr Watson had just stepped out to investigate one of their cases. On display are many familiar objects from the great detective’s stories. My film is a tour around the entire Sherlock Holmes Museum and shop. The “consulting detective” Sherlock Holmes first appeared in print in 1887 in “A Study in Scarlet”, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle went on to write 4 novels and 56 short stories featuring the great detective, as narrated by his trusted companion Dr Watson. The short stories, set in Victorian/Edwardian England were popularised in The Strand Magazine. Conan Doyle wrote about his crime-solving hero for 10 years before killing him off in 1893 in “The Final Problem”, then followed an 8 year silence, but due to public pressure Sherlock Holmes returned in 1901, in his most famous adventure, “The Hound of the Baskervilles.” The museum takes up the top 3 floors, including the sitting room and bedrooms of Holmes and Watson. The majority of the rooms are used as exhibit rooms, including life-size figures of Holmes, Watson and other characters from the books, among the figures you may recognise: Professor Moriaty. The King of Bohemia and Irene Adler. Dr Jabez Wilson From The Redheaded League. Brunton from The Musgrave Ritual. Dr Grimesby Roylott from The Speckled Band. Charles Augustus Milverton and his assailant. Such is the detective’s popularity that stories featuring the most well-known detective have been adapted for film, television, radio and even video games. Plays featuring Sherlock Holmes have been appearing on stage since 1899 and over 70 actors have played Sherlock Holmes on film. Basil Rathbone starred in 14 popular Hollywood films in the 1930s and 40s, bringing the character to a world-wide cinema audience. An enigmatic performance but often let down by the material, which now seems somewhat dated. In 2009 Guy Ritchie reinvented the film franchise, with a re-imagining of the great detective using the enigmatic talents of Robert Downey Jnr, perfect for a modern audience.On television Jeremy Brett’s faithful portrayal of Holmes epitomised the tormented soul and true essence of the great detective and was well-supported by David Burke, then Edward Hardwicke as Watson. In 2010 the talented Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffatt, brought the detective into the modern day, mixing old and new elements superbly and with a terrific performance from Benedict Cumberbatch as Holmes. Holmes' creator Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was a doctor and author, born in Edinburgh in 1859, where he later studied medicine. He went into medical practice in 1882 in Plymouth and then Porstmouth, where he started writing for publication. His first Sherlock Holmes story was sold in 1886. Purchase your tickets inside the museum to the right of 221b Baker Street. The museum is a little pricey especially if you visit as a family but I feel that as a fan this is something that has to be done at least once. Visit the museum website for current prices. The museum does not include any displays of Holmes in the movies or on TV, which might be a nice addition, and focuses primarily on location and characters from the stories.I would allow yourself between 1-2 hours to browse around the house. I did not have to wait to enter the museum but I understand that at busy times you may expect to queue as the house can only hold a certain number of visitors. The museum is located near Baker Street tube station, where there is a statue of Sherlock Holmes which is worth seeing. Musical Credits: Sherlock Medley on violin by kind permission and performed by the very talented Taryn Harbridge. The Great Avenger by Silent Partner. Opus One by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...) Artist: http://audionautix.com/ Sound Credits: Audio excerpts featured from Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon, Terror by Night and the Woman in Green. Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 courtesy of Internet Archive. Gun shot “loud bang” - Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 audio courtesy Mike Koenig. Match lighting sound effect – courtesy of Berlin Atmospheres (Atmospheres - Sound Effect #0058) Horse and cart ambient sound (1 hour) white noise – courtesy of sounds relax. Grandfather Clock Ticking and Striking 12 Sound Effect- courtesy of sound effects central. Medieval city market sound effect – courtesy of the MSoundeffects.