Sherlock Holmes’ effect on Baker Street

Walk around the elegant terraces of Bloomsbury and Fitzrovia and you can almost feel transported back to late Victorian times. A time when the world’s most famous fictional detective, Sherlock Holmes, resided at one of the most iconic addresses in literature – 221b Baker Street.

Read on for everything you need to know about Sherlock Holmes and his London stamping ground… On location The appeal of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s deerstalker-wearing sleuth has rarely waned in 120 years.

During the past decade however, the BBC show Sherlock has brought Holmes-mania to a new level. Now fans of the hit show, starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman, are in for a treat.

A fifth series of the drama may soon start production; it was let slip by the owner of a Fitzrovia cafe, which features as part of Holmes’ Baker Street flat. Speaking to Time Out, Chris Georgiou, who owns Speedy’s Sandwich Bar & Café indicated that his business would be needed for filming again. “I probably shouldn’t be saying this, but I’ve heard they’ll be coming back for a fifth season,” he said. The café is also a popular haunt for cast members on a break from filming.

Baker Street – a short history

According to the novels, Sherlock Holmes and his sidekick Dr Watson lived at 221b Baker Street from 1881 to 1904. At that time, Baker Street was a well-to-do residential area, and the original site of Madame Tussauds waxworks, until it moved in 1884. In reality, Baker, Street didn’t extend as far as 221b in those days.

Number 100 was the last property before the street merged into York Place. When York Place became part of Baker Street in the 1930s, a 221b was created within the Art Deco building that housed the Abbey National building society.

For many years, an Abbey National staff member was employed to answer all the correspondence, which arrived addressed for Sherlock Holmes. In 1990 the Sherlock Holmes Museum was established at number 239 Baker Street and a blue plaque installed on its wall. Over the years, Baker Street has been a key London location.

In the 1960s, it was home to the Beatles’ Apple Boutique – and to singer Dusty Springfield. For many years, it was the headquarters of Marks & Spencer. Plus, British WWII organisation, the Special Operations Executive, was based at number 64 from 1940, assuming the nickname, ‘The Baker Street Irregulars’, after a gang in the Sherlock Holmes stories.

The Sherlock trail

Whether you’re a fan of the original books by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, TV’s Sherlock, or the numerous other on-screen versions, the area around Baker Street has a wealth of places to see, which attract people from around the world.

Arrive by tube at Baker Street station, take the Marylebone exit, and you’ll find a nine-foot bronze statue of the detective himself right in front of you. You might spot a couple of real-life Sherlock look-alikes in the area too. An essential stop for any fan is the Sherlock Holmes Museum. Housed in a beautiful Georgian townhouse, the museum is a place of special architectural and historical interest. Run by the Sherlock Holmes Society of England, as a not-for-profit enterprise, the house has been lovingly transformed.

You can take a peek inside Holmes’ authentic Victorian study, sitting room and laboratory as well as Dr Watson’s bedroom. If you’d like to see the spot where the TV Sherlock was shot, you’ll need to venture half a mile away to North Gower Street (Euston Square tube) – where you’ll also find Speedy’s Cafe.

No longer on Baker Street, but still nearby, Madame Tussauds, is worth a look too. A visit to the famous waxwork museum includes the Sherlock Holmes experience – an interactive walk-though event which brings the stories alive. You can come face-to-face with Benedict Cumberbatch too, and Robert Downey Jr, who stared in the 2009 film version, in full Holmes regalia. Robert Downey Jr’s Sherlock is also tipped to return to the screen in a sequel, expected in 2020. Not too far away, near Oxford Circus is The Langham hotel, a place steeped in literary history.

It hosted a dinner between Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Oscar Wilde, which resulted in the Wilde’s book The Picture of Dorian Gray. The hotel itself appears in the later Holmes stories. Back in Bloomsbury, it’s worth calling in at the British Museum – unmissable for the wealth of treasures it contains, but also because it was frequented by Holmes to aid his research. You can tick off all of these sites yourself, or take an official walking tour, of which there are plenty, such as the Sherlock Walking Tour.

A bite to eat

If all this has worked up an appetite, walk to St James’ for the Sherlock Holmes pub on Northumberland Street. This Victorian-style homage to the detective has its own replica Baker Street sitting room containing plenty of Holmes memorabilia. The Park Plaza Sherlock Holmes Hotel on Chiltern Street offers the chance to do your own detective work in a murder mystery event – or take afternoon tea, as Sherlock would undoubtedly have done.

Find out more

The Bloomsbury of Holmes and Watson is certainly a stunning area to explore, with some fabulous period properties around every corner. To find out more about buying or renting in Bloomsbury, Marylebone and Fitzrovia, have a look at our current selection of properties or get in touch with us today