The Sherlock Holmes Museum

It was recently reported in the press that, shall we say, family disagreements were occurring among the management of the Sherlock Holmes Museum on Baker Street.

The Sherlock Holmes Museum

Sherlockians will, as a body, have mixed emotions about this as the museum does somewhat polarise opinion. It stands at number 239 Baker Street but marks itself as 221B for obvious reasons. The house is representative of the period and has been furnished in a manner very much in line with the descriptions in the stories. There are disputes over some of the layout and contents but, to the casual observer, all looks pretty much as it should.Well that is aside from the odd blue plaque which states that Sherlock Holmes was resident there.

© The Sherlock Holmes Museum 
221b Baker Street, London, England 
www.sherlock-holmes.co.uk.

I have visited it a couple of times and I think it does have a certain charm and I think it is important that a site exists. Without it there would not be an appropriate site even remotely in the right place. Aside from the museum, there are two other locations that are visited by Sherlock Holmes fans. The first, and oldest, is the Sherlock Holmes pub on Northumberland Street with its mock up of the 221B sitting room. 

The 221B Sitting room on the first floor of the Sherlock Holmes Pub

The second is the address on North Gower Street which doubles for Baker Street in the BBC's Sherlock. Its popularity as a site is good news for the adjacent Speedy’s Café but its relevance as a location beyond the BBC series is non-existent.

"221B Baker Street" next to Speedy's Cafe on North Gower Street

Whatever you may think of the museum it is the only interactive Sherlock Holmes experience remotely in the right place. You can go into it, pick up books, sit in the chairs and pose for pictures. I think that, despite its flaws, it is a good resource (and clearly popular) and one that it would be a pity to see the end of if these disputes get out of hand.



For more information on Arthur Conan Doyle and his time at Undershaw please refer to my book, An Entirely New Country which is available through all good bookstores including Amazon USA, Amazon UK, Classic Specialities, and in all electronic formats including iTunes, Kobo, Nook and Kindle .

The Norwood Author is available from all good bookstores, in many formats worldwide including Waterstones UK, Amazon UK,  Amazon USA, Barnes and Noble, Amazon Kindle, iBooks for the iPad/iPhone, Kobo Books, Nook.

Close to Holmes is available from all good bookstores, in many formats worldwide including Amazon USA,  Barnes and Noble,  Amazon UK,  Waterstones UK,  Amazon Kindle,  Kobo,  Nook  and iBooks for the iPad/iPhone.

Eliminate the Impossible is available from all good bookstores, in many formats worldwide including Amazon USA, Barnes and Noble, Amazon UK, Waterstones UK, Amazon Kindle, Kobo, Nook and iBooks for the iPad/iPhone.