Private Bespoke Tour: Sherlock Holmes and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

You are in safe hands for this tour. Your guide is a dedicated Sherlockian and even worked in The Sherlock Holmes Museum located in Baker Street. If you are new to Sherlock Holmes or a dedicated fanatic this tour is for you. The Game is afoot... Lets start in Northumberland Avenue, and pause for a while outside the Sherlock Holmes Pub for an insight into the life of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and how the character of Sherlock Holmes came in to being. The Sherlock Holmes Pub was formerly the Northumberland Hotel where Sir Henry Baskerville stayed when he arrived in London to seek the help of Sherlock Holmes. Right opposite is the Turkish bath where Holmes and Watson relaxed during or after a case. This tour also passes many of London's famous landmarks and as your personal guide it will be my pleasure to share my love for my home town, and also point out a few hidden gems on route.

Scotland Yard Detectives Lestrade and Hopkins were based here at this historic Police headquarters. Not that Sherlock had a particularly high view of them! The building has recently been restored beautifully complete with huge gas lamps, squint your eyes and that modern black cab could easily become a Hansom Cab dropping Sherlock off at the Yard. Lets continue the trail....

"Come Watson, lets take nourishment at Simpsons in the Strand" Words often spoken by Sherlock Holmes, as Simpsons was his favourite restaurant. Originally a Chess Club, and Coffee House this fine establishment became a favourite of Charles Dickens, Arthur Conan Doyle, and Winston Churchill. Still one of the finest traditional English restaurants. If we arrive before the lunch service we can take a peek inside and see the meat carving trolleys that have been in use since 1840.

Not exactly a Sherlock Holmes stop, but a fascinating place to walk through as a short cut to the station. The site of a Tudor Palace belonging to the Duke of Somerset, later rebuilt as a great civic building in 1775. Recently used as a filming location for 'Love Actually' Lets walk down a 300 year old staircase and make our way Temple station.

London's oldest hospital and the place where Holmes and Watson first met after being introduced by 'Young Stamford' in a Study in Scarlet. Watson runs in to this old colleague in the Criterion Bar who mentions an eccentric friend called Sherlock who is looking for someone to share the rent costs of some rooms in Baker Street. Going to a laboratory in St Barts, Holmes astonishes Watson with his powers of analysis and deduction, and the next day at 221b the partnership is established. The area around the hospital also has a fascinating history, so let me shares those stories with you also.

The rather grand and ultra luxury Langham Hotel had only just opened, when in August 1889 two up and coming authors were invited to dine with an American publisher on a talent scouting mission. The two authors were Oscar Wilde and Arthur Conan Doyle, and this meeting would launch both of their international careers.

Dr Watson can't live the bachelor life forever,and eventually meets and marries Mary Morstan. Leaving 221b Baker Street he sets up home, and opens his own medical practice at 8 Queen Anne Street. Standing outside this building, you can imagine Sherlock on the doorstep knocking the door with his cane, and Mrs Watson's eyes rolling as her husband is called away on yet another adventure.

A must see pilgrimage spot for true Sherlockians. Inside this building Arthur Conan Doyle had his medical practice. He would walk here each morning, a journey of 20 minutes, no doubt taking inspiration from the characters and buildings he passed. He would later joke - "Not a single patient darkened my door" The exterior of this building is unchanged since Conan Doyle was here in 1891. Between patients he would write the series of stories that would become - "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes"

Baker Street Station is the best preserved and one of the oldest Underground stations in the world. The London Underground is so old, Holmes and Watson traveled it a few times in the stories. Just outside the station is the Sherlock Holmes Statue, commissioned by the Abbey National Building Society who occupied 221 Baker Street for a number of years. Lets go say hello to Sherlock, and then I will tell you an interesting story about this statue before we head to Baker Street.

The tour ends at the world famous 221b Baker Street where you can either shop for Sherlock souvenirs or enter the museum which is set out as Sherlock and Watson's home that they share with their landlady Mrs Hudson.