I’ve been meaning to visit the Sherlock Holmes Museum for a while but have always ended up not having the time. However, on a trip in May I decided to head out after a theatre matinee performance (where I saw the very moving Peter and Alice with Ben Whishaw and Judi Dench) because I knew they were open till 6pm and everywhere else I would like to visit closed at around 5pm.
I got there, bought a ticket from the shop and then joined an already sizeable queue, which continued to grow and grow while I waited. I ended up waiting at least half an hour – clearly it’s a very popular tourist destination. Once you get in – walking past costumed staff welcoming you in – you are transported into a Holmesian World where each room contains well-known artifacts from Conan Doyle’s stories. Holmes, Watson and Mrs Hudson each have their own rooms, as well as the famous study with Holmes’ workstation and violin.
There is also a room of wax models re-enacting various scenes from the Holmes stories, depicting blackmail and intrigue, including one of Jabez Wilson copying out the Encyclopedia Britannica, as he does in The Adventure of the Red-Headed League, a story I have a particular fondness for.
As someone who somewhat obsessively read and re-read the Holmes stories and novels when I was around 9, it was great to be able to see them come to life and the care that has gone into ensuring that everywhere you turn there is something interesting and relevant to see.
The admission price is £8, definitely reasonable if you are a fan, no matter whether your interest comes from Sherlock, Elementary, the Brett years or the original source material. Highly recommended.
Louise Jayne's Blog 