Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous creation, ‘consulting detective’ Sherlock Holmes, has had a few different incarnations over the last 125 years. But one of the latest is in the BBC’s fantastic series Sherlock, which has taken the old stories and cleverly updated them to modern London. I love the show, and now I’ve got a long wait for the next episodes, I thought I’d revisit some of the previous ones on location in London. The city features so heavily it’s almost another character in the series, but a lot of what passes for London is actually Wales. Chinatown in the first series was really Newport, the graveyard at the end of series two is St Woolos Cemetery also in Newport, and West Kensington Library in the show is really Cardiff Central Library. But there are still a good few Sherlock locations that are actually in London, so I put together walk taking in some of the major filming spots – click on the map at the bottom for full directions to follow it yourself.
Warning: If you haven’t seen to the end of series three yet, beware there are spoilers ahead!

The outside of St Bart’s and messages in the phone box
The route starts at St Bart’s Hospital (EC1A 7BE), scene of the big climax of series two when Sherlock jumps to his death from the roof… or does he? The hospital is the oldest in the UK and features in most other Sherlock episodes too, including being where Holmes and Watson first meet in episode one. The interior shots are filmed in a studio in Cardiff but you can walk around the outside of the building – though the public aren’t allowed on the roof. You can also see a phone box that was adopted as a kind of shrine after Sherlock’s ‘death’ and filled with messages from fans around the world.

The Oxo Tower and the Thames Foreshore (with the tide in)
From St Bart’s, head south across Blackfriars Bridge and along the riverside towards the Oxo Tower (SE1 9PH). You need to get your timing right to visit the next location as this patch of the Thames foreshore disappears when the tide’s in. On the sand between the two wooden piers here is where the body of a security guard is washed up in The Great Game (series 1 episode 3). Keep going west along the riverbank and you’ll come across a couple more locations from the same episode – cross Waterloo Bridge to the Victoria Embankment, where Holmes and Watson meet with Sherlock’s homeless network.

Time for a quick drink at the Sherlock Holmes pub – photo credit c_nilsen on Flickr
Next head inland towards Charing Cross – taking a little detour to The Sherlock Holmes pub on Northumberland Street if you fancy a drink on the way – via Trafalgar Square, which Holmes and Watson walk across in a scene from The Blind Banker (series 1, episode 2). Head on to The British Academy (SW1Y 5AH), or should that be the Diogenes Club? In real life it’s an academic centre for humanities and social sciences, but in Sherlock it’s a gentleman’s club co-founded by Sherlock’s brother Mycroft. The club has a strict ‘no talking’ rule which Watson falls foul of when he goes to look for Mycroft there in The Reichenbach Fall (series 2, episode 3) and ends up getting chucked out by the bouncers.

London’s police headquarters, New Scotland Yard – photo credit Lynda on Flickr
Carry on south across St James’s Park to New Scotland Yard (SW1H 0BG), the Metropolitan Police headquarters – and base for Inspector Lestrade – which crops up in several episodes. Keep going on past Victoria station and into upmarket Belgravia. The house at number 44 in Eaton Square (SW1W 9BD) features as the house of dominatrix Irene Adler – aka ‘The Woman’ – in A Scandal in Belgravia (series 2 episode 1). The houses around this square are worth millions, but only the outside features in the show as all the interiors were all shot in Wales (at Fields House in Newport, also a filming location for Doctor Who).

False-fronted houses at 23-24 Leinster Gardens – photo credit diamond geezer on Flickr
From Belgravia it’s a big hop onto the next location, so if you’re feeling energetic you can take the 45-minute walk across Hyde Park otherwise catch the Circle Line Tube from nearby Sloane Square to Bayswater. Here you’ll find Leinster Gardens (W2 3AN) where the two ’empty houses’ at numbers 23 and 24 feature in His Last Vow (series 3 episode 3), where Sherlock beams the face of Mary Watson onto the front of them. These two houses are just a façade, with painted-on windows and doors with no letter boxes. The original buildings were knocked down when the Metropolitan Railway was built in 1868 to make a stretch of track where the steam trains could vent and keep the tunnels free from smoke.

The Landmark hotel in Marylebone – photo credit Kevin Boyd on Flickr
Head east next, past Paddington station and onto Marylebone Road to the Landmark hotel (NW1 6JQ). This features in The Empty Hearse (series 3, episode 1) as the restaurant where Watson takes Mary to propose to her. Well at least the exterior does, the inside shots were actually shot a bit further away in Cheltenham, at a former art deco cinema turned restaurant called The Daffodil, which also happens to be where I got married last year! You get a good view of the restaurant’s distinctive red and black floor tiles when Sherlock gets knocked out on them by Watson once he finds out he’s still alive.

Inside The Daffodil Cheltenham (rather than the Landmark in Marylebone)
Back on the walking route, carry on east along Euston Road to the most important of all Sherlock locations – his home at 221B Baker Street. Or both of them in this case. First up is the real 221B Baker Street, which is now the Sherlock Holmes Museum. With so many Sherlock-themed buildings around here it couldn’t be used in the show, so instead they used a quieter street half a mile away. The real address is 187 North Gower Street (NW1 2NJ) but it gets a new front door with a 221B sign for filming. The café next door really is called Speedy’s though, and unlike the flat where the interior shots are done in the studio, you can really go and get a cup of tea inside – the perfect end to a Sherlock tour.

Speedy’s Cafe and 221B Baker Street (or so it says) – photo credit givingnot on Flickr
The details
If you’d like to do the walk yourself, click on the map below to download a route map and directions.
36 Comments
amaatk123
January 28, 2014 at 11:40 amYour wedding venue looks amazing Lucy! How wonderful! The inclusion of the map is really cool too. Nice post. I’m quite keen to get to Wallingford which doubles as Causton in Midsomer Murders.
Lucy Dodsworth
January 28, 2014 at 3:17 pmThanks, I came across the mapping site recently and thought this was a good chance to make use of it!
travelexplorecreate
January 28, 2014 at 12:22 pmOMG! I love the show and I keep on dreaming that one day I come back to London and do the whole route of scenes in it. You made it so much easier now! Thnx! It’s a great post! 🙂
Lucy Dodsworth
January 28, 2014 at 3:16 pmFantastic! Hope you do get to do it when you are next in London.
Suzanne Courtney
January 28, 2014 at 12:50 pmGreat post Lucy with lovely London shots. The Daffodil is gorgeous 🙂 We went for a walk in the autumn to East Dean in Sussex and came across a cottage with a blue plaque that said ‘Sherlock Holmes retired here’!
Lucy Dodsworth
January 28, 2014 at 3:18 pmThanks Suzanne, we spotted the film crews outside the Daffodil ages ago so were waiting to spot it onscreen but it ended up with a much more important part than we imagined!
laperapera
January 28, 2014 at 1:18 pmI love Sherlock ^^ Great post with lovely London photos!
Lucy Dodsworth
January 28, 2014 at 3:18 pmThanks so much, glad you liked it!
La valise de louise
January 28, 2014 at 1:32 pmI did not realise that a phone box had been transformed into a makeshift shrine – that’s pretty cool! Congratulations on your wedding – the resto interior in Cheltenham looks like a perfect location for a celebration!
Lucy Dodsworth
January 28, 2014 at 3:14 pmThe phonebox was great – after the end of series two it was full of messages, notes and drawings from fans! And thanks, we had a great wedding day, lots of happy memories.
Jessi (@2feet1world)
January 28, 2014 at 2:37 pmThis is brilliant – will definitely be giving it a go sometime soon 🙂
Lucy Dodsworth
January 28, 2014 at 3:14 pmThat’s great – hope you enjoy it!
Maddie
January 28, 2014 at 2:39 pmGeeking out about this, I love Sherlock!! Your wedding venue looks absolutely stunning Lucy.
Lucy Dodsworth
January 28, 2014 at 3:11 pmExcellent! Can’t believe we have to wait so long til the next series, I shall have to get the DVDs and watch all the old ones to keep me going!
crazyguyinthailand
January 28, 2014 at 7:25 pmI love Sherlock 😀
Lucy Dodsworth
January 28, 2014 at 10:10 pmIt’s a great series isn’t it!
thegrownupgapyear
January 28, 2014 at 8:11 pmThis is brilliant! We loved the latest Sherlock series so will definitely be giving this tour a go. Thanks for making it so straightforward and easy to follow. Oh, and I agree, your wedding venue is gorgeous!
Lucy Dodsworth
January 28, 2014 at 10:09 pmLet me know how you get on if you do – I might have to go to Wales and do a sequel sometime!
kwizoe
January 28, 2014 at 8:48 pmI really enjoy the new show as well, and I think this would be a fun day to spend in London (and great exercise!). Thanks for the great article!
Lucy Dodsworth
January 28, 2014 at 10:08 pmThanks, yes it’s definitely good exercise too – the full route is 14.5km (or 10.8km if you do the one stretch on the Tube).
holidayaddict
January 28, 2014 at 8:49 pmThis post is a stroke of genius and I love it! A wee Sherlock fix while I pine for more (though we have re-watched the lot since we got the blu-ray box set).
Lucy Dodsworth
January 28, 2014 at 10:05 pmThat’s the one thing I don’t love about Sherlock – they don’t do enough episodes! Will be investing in the blu-rays too to keep me going!
happycampersblog
February 2, 2014 at 7:51 amLove this post…love Sherlock…thanks
Lucy Dodsworth
February 3, 2014 at 6:21 pmThat’s great – you’re very welcome!
restlessjo
February 4, 2014 at 4:40 pmWhat an interesting post, Lucy. Will bookmark this one for next time I’m down that way 🙂
Lucy Dodsworth
February 10, 2014 at 12:26 pmThanks Jo, it’s a nice walk passing by some great London sights, even if you’re not an obsessive fan!
aBitofCulture
February 8, 2014 at 11:57 amI might be one of the few people who has never see the Cumberbatch programme – I’ll try to catch up one day. Whereabouts is that statue in the top photo?
Lucy Dodsworth
February 10, 2014 at 12:27 pmIt’s definitely worth a watch sometime (and there are only nine episodes in total so it wouldn’t take you long to catch up!). The statue is just outside Baker Street station, not far from the Sherlock Holmes museum.
Satryra
February 27, 2014 at 6:47 pmWow, really great article and the route map is just amazing!
We´ve been to London around last christmas for about three days and tried to see as much from the city as possible.
We will definitely try the route when we come back again.
Lucy Dodsworth
February 28, 2014 at 5:56 pmThanks! Glad you liked it and hope you get to put it to use when you’re next in London,
Jennifer Davis
March 10, 2014 at 12:34 amHi Lucy, thanks for this great post. I’m planning a trip to London with my 14 year old daughter and both of us are huge Sherlock fans. How much time would you allow for this tour, assuming we don’t know London at all? (It’s our first visit.) We’d take the Tube across town as you suggested.
Lucy Dodsworth
March 10, 2014 at 10:37 amHi, I would allow at least two and a half hours to do the full route without rushing – and a bit extra if you want to go into any of the places en route. Hope you and your daughter enjoy it and your trip to London!
Bronnie Grace
March 18, 2014 at 1:43 pmI love this! Will definitely be adding it to my to-do list in London!
Lucy Dodsworth
March 19, 2014 at 10:56 pmThat’s great, hope you enjoy it!
Tanja
May 9, 2016 at 9:07 amI’ve visited the Sherlock Holmes museum:)
Beth Gray
January 16, 2017 at 11:03 pmDo you know where the pretty street is in The Great Game where they are walking after leaving Kenny Prince’s house?