Sherlockian Sojourns #11: ‘Abominable’ Bristol

Travelling to Swansea to meet a few ‘Sherlock’ guest stars, I decided to go via Bristol where a number of scenes for the Christmas Special ‘The Abominable Bride’ were filmed. Catching a coach from Victoria Coach Station, I spent the journey listening to the Doctor Who audio “The Behemoth”, featuring the Sixth Doctor and his companions, Constance and Flip, which featured the slave trade in and around Bristol and Bath. Exiting the coach in the city centre, I made my way to the first location, Queens Square, passing a plaque that reminded me of the audio that I had just finished.

The first location was that of the ‘Ricoletti Home’, and the balcony from which the Bride is seen to shoot two pistols.

Walking past the Theatre Royal (home of the Bristol Old Vic) which was undergoing some works, I found myself next at ‘The Famous Royal Navy Volunteer’ Public House, which appeared as the ‘Criterion Bar’ in the Victorian version of Holmes and Watson’s first meeting, as it was here that Watson (Martin Freeman) met Stamford (played by David Nellist who also played the modern-day version in ‘A Study in Pink’).

After around a ten minute walk, I found myself at Colston Hall, Bristol’s Concert Hall, whose cellars were used for the mortuary where they encountered Hooper (the lovely Louise Brealey). Unfortunately only the cafe was open due to an event being set up, and the cellars are not open to the public. I therefore had to make do with a photograph of the outside. 

Continuing along, I made my way to Bristol Cathedral, and having wandered around the building several times, finally found the statue of Queen Victoria, which identified the part of the courtyard where the Bride’s second attack was filmed.

Having wandered around the cathedral itself, I made my way to a nearby bus stop, pleased to find that Bristol buses take contactless payment. Catching an X9 bus, I made my way to the outskirts of Bristol, namely Wraxhall, getting off a stop too early for my destination, Tyntesfield, a National Trust property. This country house was used for the home of the Carmichaels (Tim McInnery & Catherine McCormack), but the scenes set in the maze were filmed somewhere very well-known to myself and my closest friends – Longleat House, which used to have a permanent ‘Doctor Who’ exhibition, and ran annual signing events.

Walking up a very long drive, I finally found myself at the house, but it then became clear that I needed to have bought a ticket from the visitors centre, which was by the entrance that I should have used. A twenty minute walk there and back, and I was stowing my bag, and taking some photos of the outside.

Entering the house, I managed to find the dining room that appears in the story as Watson’s dining room.

Many of the other rooms in the house were closed due to the ongoing installation of a new fire alarm system, and so I was soon making my way back to the bus stop that I had alighted opposite, catching a bus back into central Bristol.

Making my way to Bristol Temple Meads station, I caught a train to first Newport and then Swansea, making my way to my accommodation near to the prison.

The next day, I finally found the location of the Comic Con (which seemed to be at the top of the world), meeting Claire Gutteridge and Keith Bristow, who played the younger versions of Sherlock’s parents in the flashbacks in ‘The Final Problem’.

Both chatted enthusiastically about their time on the show, telling me that a total of forty minutes of footage had been filmed. Claire also described how she was hit in the face by a beach ball thrown by one of the children.

“I’ve now got all the Holmes family”, I boasted.

“Even Redbeard ?”, asked Claire.

“Yes”, I said meaning the dog, but it turned out that Claire was referring to ‘Victor Trevor’, whom I pointed out was not actually a member of the family.

Another signing table had a scribbled sign above it that indicated someone who had been in ‘The Abominable Bride’ (and DW spin-off ‘Class’), but there was never anyone sitting there for the whole time that I was there, so I could not get his signature also.

My straight-forward journey home was scuppered by the lack of any trains running between Cardiff and Newport, but I finally managed to make other arrangements having failed to get on two replacement buses.