Undershaw Manor and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - Aug 2012

Derelict Places

Help Support Derelict Places:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

nelly

Veteran Member
Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 29, 2010
Messages
1,414
Reaction score
2,113
Location
Harlow
Splored with SK, Jane Doe, Trog and Peaches
Massive bigs to SK for lending me an exterior shot, I actually forgot to take one :)

sherlock_holmes_statue.jpg


Undershaw Manor was the home of Sherlock Holmes writer Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the house was built in 1897 and was designed by Doyle himself.

Doyle chose an elevated spot for his new home because he believed that the fresh breezes of this hilly part of Surrey would cure his poor wife, Louise, of her ill health. Louise suffered from the terrible disease of consumption (or as we now call it, TB).

acd.jpg


It was at Undershaw that Doyle wrote may of his famous Sherlock Holmes novels including The Hound of the Baskervilles and entertained friends such as Bram Stoker (author of Dracula) and J.M. Barrie (Peter Pan)

1.jpg


Undershaw was converted into a hotel not long after Doyle sold it until it sclosed in 2004 and it has been derelict ever since

2.jpg


There is a massive campaign to save Undershaw, it is currently owned by an investment company and there have been a string of legal battles over the building

3.jpg


Planning applications and objections, the preservationist want to preserve it as a museum to Conan Doyle but the local council have said they don't have the money to purchase it (£1.5m in 2010)

4.jpg


During December 2010, the Undershaw Preservation Trust instigated judicial review proceedings at the High Court of Justice, in an attempt to overturn the decision by Waverley Borough Council to permit the conversion of Undershaw into flats.

5.jpg


On May 30, 2012, the High Court overturned the redevelopment of Undershaw due to legal flaws. The council's decisions to grant planning permission and listed building consent must be quashed.

6.jpg


Futher info on the Undershaw Preservation Trust can be found here
http://www.saveundershaw.com/

7.jpg


8.jpg


9.jpg


10.jpg


11.jpg


12.jpg


13.jpg


14.jpg


 
Ooooh nice! I love the flag fall signalling panel, we found parts of one of those in this house we live in and there were the pulleys from the same kind of thing in my mum's old place AND in Pool Parc.
 
Amazing. And appalling that something like this should even be considered as redevelopment fodder.
 
Fantastic slice of history there sir. Beautifully documented. Shame to see it like that, but glad you've got to see it.
 
Great pics and a fantastic write up! Thank goodness the place hasnt got the go ahead to be turned into flats, a place with such historical importance should be preserved as it is,fingers crossed the Undershaw preservation society will one day get it the care it deserves:)
 
Gorgeous inglenook. I hope the preservation society is successful. If not, your report does what it says on the DP tin - documents what has been.
 
Back
Top