Visit the North West of England to see loads of locations
The series was shot in Manchester, and most of the episode locations were nearby, or in counties such as Merseyside and Cheshire. If you spend any time in the North West of England, chances are, you'll be close to one or more locations. A dear friend of mine took me along the waterfront of the Mersey in central Liverpool. The Port of Liverpool building, so close to the famous Liver Building, was the bank in ‘The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax'. We went inside and had a wander around. The nearby Albert Docks were used countless times in many episodes. As for the stately homes, many of them are National Trust or English Heritage properties, and accessible for a fee. If you love the show, they are well worth a visit. But there's a thrill to be had in finding the streets and public buildings (Manchester Town Hall is another – spot the bumble bee tiles in the episodes!) where you can visit free of charge whenever you're in the area. “It's Peckforton Castle!” I exclaimed, watching ‘The Boscombe Valley Mystery'. I'd visited for my 40th birthday because they'd filmed a Jon Pertwee ‘Doctor Who' story there – but I had never recognised it in Holmes before!
