Are you a fan of Henry David Thoreau? Perhaps you have paid a visit to Walden Pond. Is The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn your favorite book? If so, a trip to Hartford, Connecticut to see the Mark Twain House and Museum is probably on your bucket list. For fans of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle however, it may not be long before there is no place to pay such tribute unless you are interested in buying a townhouse.
The former residence of Conan Doyle has sat empty since 2004. Fossway Limited, an investment company, has since purchased the property and has plans to sell Undershaw to developers whose intention it is to split the home into three townhouses. Another five townhouses will be built to Undershaw’s side, creating a huge development.
The first question I had when I learned of this impending travesty was, “How could such a thing be possible? Surely this house is a historic landmark!” Dracula’s creator, Bram Stoker, took tea here. J.M. Barrie of Peter Pan fame as well as Virginia Woolfe have graced the halls of Undershaw. Attempts by preservationists to have Undershaw claimed as a building of historic importance have been fruitless. The English Heritage has deemed Undershaw “not architecturally notable” and declared that Conan Doyle is “not of the same standing as Jane Austen or Charles Dickens.” It is a sad state of affairs indeed as the grand house sits boarded up and quietly awaits its fate.
How Did It Come To This, Watson?
In 1885, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle married Louise Hawkins, a quiet and unassuming woman who undoubtedly spent most of her time in her husband’s shadow. Sadly, in 1893, the same year that reader’s everywhere believed Holmes to have met his end, Louise became sick with tuberculosis. Her physician predicted she had but a few months to live. Conan Doyle’s determination to prolong the life of his beloved prompted him to remove Louise to someplace with a more favorable climate. Switzerland came highly recommended and so they moved to Davos. The Swiss climate did indeed prove beneficial to Louise but they came to realize that they were simply too far away from family and friends for their own comfort.
At the urging of a friend who also suffered from tuberculosis, Conan Doyle decided to give the climate in Surrey, England a try. It was then, in 1897, that he designed Undershaw. It was commissioned to be built by the Victorian architect Joseph Ball with whom Conan Doyle worked closely on the project. In the decade between 1897 and 1907, Undershaw saw the rise and fall of Louise’s health, her death in 1906, and life given to the most recognizable and adored literary detective of all time, Sherlock Holmes.
What Went Wrong
After Conan Doyle sold Undershaw in 1907, it was passed through many owners until 1924. Undershaw then spent 80 happy years as a 16 bedroom hotel before it fell into the wrong hands. The investment company that has purchased Undershaw, Fossway Limited, is more than a little anxious to see the home and surrounding area turned into a residential development. Sadly, Undershaw is only listed as a Grade II building and, therefore, is not granted historical exception. An attempt was made by preservationists to have the house reclassified as a Grade I, thereby affording it all necessary protections but alas, it was not to be. The Waverley Borough Council, which is the governing body of Surrey, denied the proposal for Undershaw’s upgrade and gave Fossway the green light on their development plans.
According to an article in the L.A. Times, the "council approved the developer's plans in June after reviewing all the relevant data, including 'satisfactory reports on bats and badgers' at the property. The meeting was attended by a few objectors, including one dressed as Holmes. Also present was Conan Doyle's great-nephew, whose young son cried when the decision came down.” With over 400 Sherlockian societies and fan clubs world-wide, this decision came as a devastating blow to many fans; a decision made by a council whose priority was unloading a property that had become a burden to them.
The Save Undershaw Preservation Trust
The founder of the Undershaw preservation trust, John Gibson, is working closely with lawyers in an effort to have the Waverley Borough Council’s decision overturned. The Judicial Review was approved by a senior judge in the High Court and a hearing will take place on the 23rd May 2012 to determine as to whether the planning approval was in fact unlawful Along with this, a complaint to the Local Government Ombudsman has been filed in regards to the Council’s oversight of Undershaw over the past six years.
In the Trust’s own words, the "preferred vision of the Undershaw Preservation Trust would be to see it restored, in period style, the house, stable, well and grounds ….. all of which have survived 114 years. Trees could be thinned to open up views from the garden down the Nutcombe Valley to the South Downs and, with permission, a bronze statue of Sherlock Holmes (or Conan Doyle) could be appropriately placed at the Hindhead crossroads. Undershaw could become a self supporting Sherlock Holmes/Conan Doyle Museum (with refreshment area for visitors) and exhibits could be in conjunction with the Portsmouth Museum’s 50,000 item Doyle collection of John Gibson’s late friend, Richard Lancelyn Green. The Museum could then become part of a Conan Doyle tour, including visits to his London connections, Portsmouth Museum and his grave in the New Forest’s Minstead Churchyard.”
Whatever Remains, However Improbable…
Setting aside, for a moment, the fact that the situation at Undershaw should never have progressed this far, we need to acknowledge the deep and unhealing scar that this battle could potentially leave on the hearts of mystery lovers, Holmesians, and the face of England itself. Undershaw is, in essence, the place where Holmes breathed new life in The Return of Sherlock Holmes. It is the place where The Hound of the Baskervilles first took shape.
As an established and esteemed author of not only the Sherlock Holmes canon, but of science fiction, historical novels, poetry and plays, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s home at Undershaw demands to be treated with the same reverence that England has given to the homes of other famous writers. It is through preserving important pieces of literary culture and heritage, such as Undershaw, that we instill an interest in history and literature in future generations.
Sources:
- Chu, Henry. "Sherlock Holmes (fans) and the Case of the Empty House - Los Angeles Times." Featured Articles From The Los Angeles Times. 18 Aug. 2010. Web. 11 Dec. 2011.
- McKay, Sinclair. "Undershaw: What's to Become of It, Watson? - Telegraph." Telegraph.co.uk - Telegraph Online, Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph - Telegraph. 18 Aug. 2010. Web. 11 Dec. 2011 .
- "The Save Undershaw Preservation Trust." The Save Undershaw Preservation Trust. Web. 11 Dec. 2011.
Dawn Koogle - Dawn has an extensive writing portfolio. She has worked on numerous writing projects ranging from headlining news stories to children's ...
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