England, Home of Holmes - Sherlock, That Is

Clever title, yes?

So aside from tea and biscuits, when you think England you might think Sherlock Holmes. After all, that's where the famed detective is from and where his stories were first published in The Strand magazine. If you're a lover of Sherlock Holmes in any of his forms - short stories, movies, theater, television - there is lots for you to discover in England.

First of all, is there a 221B Baker Street? Yes, and no. On Baker Street you will find a Sherlock Holmes Museum with a plaque displaying that they are 221B Baker Street, but technically they are located between 237 and 241 Baker Street. But if you don't tell anyone, no one will know the difference.

So the Sherlock Holmes Museum at 221B/237-241 Baker Street has been converted into Sherlock Holmes' imagined residence. (Just a reminder to all that Sherlock Holmes was not a real person - it seems to be an issue that people get confused) On a self guided tour you'll walk through three floors encompassing the sitting room, laboratory, bathroom, study, and bedrooms of the beloved characters of Holmes and Dr. Watson. The rooms are beautifully decorated to reflect a Georgian townhouse between the years of 1881 and 1904 (the years Holmes and Watson would have lived there) and follow descriptions of the home from Doyle's stories.

The Study in the Museum

Throughout the house are nods to many of the stories of Sherlock Holmes (hand written notes on cases such as the Hounds of Baskerville) as well as personal belongings of the two residents. In the sitting room you can have a seat by the fireplace or at the dining table for some photo ops.

The gift shop next door is the world's largest and you'll find gifts related to the original Holmes' stories all the way up to books and posters plastered with Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman (NOT a bad thing!).

Tickets are 15 pounds (about 22.50 USD) and yes I agree that is expensive. You'll probably only be in the museum for around 30 minutes. The house is quite small so small groups of people are let in at a time, which can result in a fairly long wait. Our wait was around 30 or 40 minutes. Most importantly...You must get your ticket from the gift shop BEFORE you get in line to enter the house.

Sherlock Holmes Pub

Once you've visited Sherlock's house at 221B, you'll probably be getting a bit hungry. So head over to 10 Northumberland Street to the Sherlock Holmes Pub. The bottom floor is a typical pub, but a sit down restaurant upstairs makes you feel like you're dining in Sherlock's house (or at least in a room decorated by the same decorator...Mrs. Hudson?). The walls are covered with Sherlock photos and a small room off to the side is set up as Sherlock's laboratory.

The food was good, prices were average...and I refuse to believe that the Sherlock drawing on their menus hasn't been updated in the wake of the BBC's Sherlock to look like Benedict Cumberbatch.

Speedy's Cafe and 221B

Lastly, for you lovers of BBC's Sherlock, you can't miss out on some filming locations. If you head over to 187 N Gower Street you'll find the film location for 221B and Speedy's Cafe. When filming isn't occurring the door, unfortunately, doesn't say 221B. And someone does live there, so be nice. But you can still grab a pastry or breakfast from Speedy's and sit right outside Benedict's...Sherlock's...door. There are some cool pictures of the actors inside the Cafe as well.

St. Bart's - Sherlock's Fall

You've seen where he lives, you can see where he "dies." If you take the 56 bus it'll drop you off nearly at the point where Benedict Cumberbatch hits the pavement after jumping off the roof of St. Bart's in the Series 2 finale. I mean, get off the bus, walk left for about twenty feet and heads up.

You'll see the Ambulance Bay that blocked John's view to your left and you can imagine the whole scene playing out. There's also a phone booth there covered in funny comments and drawings related to Sherlock Holmes and his supposed demise. Funny reading.

So have fun walking in Sherlock's footsteps...

The game is on.

Harry Potter - Magic in England

Although Hogwarts is technically located somewhere in the hills of Scotland, London holds plenty of its own magical secrets - The Ministry of Magic, The Three Broomsticks, Diagon Alley. There are lots of ways to experience Harry Potter fun during a trip to London and the surrounding areas.

The biggest and best way is to visit Leavesden Studios, now home of The Warner Brothers Studio Tour - The Making of Harry Potter.

The Great Hall

Much of the Harry Potter film series was filmed at the studio at Leavesden. When movies wrapped an entire building was built on the site to house all the amazing sets, props, and costumes that were left over. Entire sets were taken down and re-built in their original entirety at the Studio Tour building. You can see exactly as it was in the movie The Great Hall, Gryffindor Common Room and Boy's Dorms, Dumbledore's Office, the Potions Classroom, the Weasley Kitchen, and so many more sets you'll instantly recognize. They're filled with the props used in the movies, and the costumes used by actors. All original, all authentic.

Potions Class and Snape's Costume

You'll also see Creature Effects where goblin masks, life size dummies, Dobby, and all other sorts of creatures live. See how they were made and how much work went into every detail. About midway through your tour you'll find the Hogwarts Express - the actual train used. Take a walk through and see the different cars that Harry and his friends rode in, then step across the platform to film your own Hogwarts Express journey. You'll get a chance to walk down Diagon Alley, step into the Ministry of Magic, and get a great look at the scale model of Hogwarts that was built for many of the exterior shots of the castle.

If you want to immerse yourself even more, make sure you take a digital ride in the Weasley's Ford Anglia and on a broomstick that takes you from London to Hogwarts. Although filming on a green screen, you can purchase a video of yourself or just fun photos from the experience. The line might look like it fills the whole room, but it goes quite quickly.

The tour wouldn't be complete without a walk through the backlot where No. 4 Privat Drive, the Potter's House, the purple Knight Bus, and part of the Hogwarts bridge have been transported and rebuilt. A cafe can hook you up with lunch or a snack, and of course Butterbeer. When touring the backlot you are outside, so keep weather in mind.

Hogwarts Scaled Model

The official website suggests at least 3 hours for this tour. I was there for 6 and only had to rush out because it was closing. The record is 13 hours...whoa. Keep in mind that although it closes at 10 or 8 pm depending on the year, the last bus back to the train station leaves 15 minutes prior.

Adult tickets are around $65 and must be purchased for a particular time. You can only begin the tour during your ticketed time. You are with a group for a short time, but then tour the rest at your own pace.You can rent an audio guide for the duration of the tour, and/or purchase an official guide. Throughout the tour there are video screens that run short interviews or film clips. The screens might just say what you're looking at (for example when you get to the Common Room the screen might just say Gryffindor Common Room), but wait a minute and the video will begin. If you don't want to wait, all these videos are loaded onto the digital guide and can be viewed on those.

I highly recommend this tour for any die-hard Harry Potter fan, or even just a casual fan. It's quite immersive and completely authentic. There are also a lot of special occasions throughout the year where you might get to see something extra special - check here for a list of dates. If you can't make it out to London, check out the digital tour, here!

If you find yourself at King's Cross you'll find The Harry Potter Shop at Platform 9 3/4. It's near the back of the shopping plaza. It's a small store selling a lot of Harry Potter merchandise. Just outside the store you can have your picture taken walking "through" the platform wall with a luggage cart. You do have to stand in line to take the photo, and a professional will take a photo that you can purchase, but you can also have a friend take your photo at the same time.

Filming Locations:

Now that you've seen the actual sets used in the movies, you can visit some real life filming locations. They're all over England, and Scotland so I'll just list a few here. You can find a long, and fairly complete list compiled by Rick Steves here.

Reptile House - The Sorcerer's Stone
In the first movie when Harry accompanies the Dursely's to the zoo he finds himself in the Reptile House talking to a boa constrictor. The Reptile House can be visited at the London Zoo.

The Leaky Cauldron Entrance - The Sorcerer's Stone
The entry way to the The Leaky Cauldron can be found just outside of Leadenhall Market in London. The exact address is 42 Bull's Head Passage, which is currently an eyeglass store and painted a rather bright blue.

King's Cross Station - The Chamber of Secrets

Pancras Station

When Ron and Harry miss the Hogwarts Express they steal the Ford Anglia from the parking lot. The car is actually parked in front of, and flies over, Pancras Station in London (which is right next to King's Cross).




Millennium Bridge - The Half-Blood Prince
Attacked by Death Eaters in the beginning of the 6th film, Millennium bridge stretches across the Thames from Bankside (near Shakespeare's Globe) to the City of London (near St. Paul's Cathedral).

Staircase at Christ Church, Oxford

Hogwarts Staircase - The Sorcerer's Stone
When the first years are first brought into the school by Professor McGonagall she leads them up a flight of stairs to await the sorting. Harry meets Draco and Neville finds his toad. This staircase is located in Christ Church, Oxford. You'll need a tour ticket to see it. The Church's dining hall also inspired the look of the Hogwarts' Great Hall.

Restricted Section of Hogwarts Library - The Sorcerer's Stone
When Harry looks for information on Nicholas Flamel in the Restricted Section he's inside the Duke Humfrey's Library, a part of the Bodleian Library in Oxford. Tickets are required to visit.

Hogwarts Infirmary - The Sorcerer's Stone and The Half-Blood Prince
The Divinity School of the Bodleian Library housed the Hogwarts Infirmary on two occasions. Tickets are required to visit.

Have fun entering the magical world of Harry Potter! I know I did!!