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In 1891, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock
Holmes was a character very much of his time and place, who appealed to British
readers directly by confronting the messy, changeable world they lived in. From
1181 to 1904, the fictional Holmes lived at 221B Baker Street in London, which
became one of the world's most famous addresses.
Located on Baker Street in London, near
Regent's Park, the Sherlock Holmes Museum is the world's first museum dedicated
to the literary character. It actually sits between numbers 237 and 241, but
has special permission from the City of Westminster to carry the famous
address. This Georgian townhouse was built in 1815 and used as a boarding house
until 1936, but was converted into a museum in 1990.
Since then, the rooms have been restored to give visitors an insight into the life and stories of the world's first consulting detective, as well as an authentic experience of Victorian London. From the cheery 'Bobby' in traditional uniform at the door, to the tour guides in Victorian-era costume, this museum invites you to step back in time to the gas-lit world of London's iconic detective. Photography is not allowed inside, but there are plenty of opportunities to take home postcard from the gift store!
Brief
Overview of British Literature (aka BritLit)
The earliest surviving works of BritLit are from the Old English
period (475-1000), and include famous epics such as Beowulf. (Snag a complete unit study on
Beowulf here!!)
Fast-forward to the Battle of Hastings, and Norman French replaced Old English
as the language of the ruling classes. At this point, BritLit became largely
influenced by the French, and stories began to center around Charlemagne and
King Arthur. It wasn't until the 14th century that the old styles
would re-emerge in works by authors such as Malory and Chaucer.
The Renaissance brought Shakespeare and Marlowe, whose writings
led the Elizabethian era and still persist today. Famous poets of this era
included Donne and Milton. In the early 18th century, novels became
the 'done thing,' with works by Defoe, Richardson, Fielding, Sterne and
Smollett. This style was developed further in the 19th century by Jane Austen,
Walter Scott, Thackeray, the Bronte sisters, Eliot, and Dickens.
London —
Abbey Road
Tucked into St. John's Wood is a little road that went largely
unknown until 1969. Legend says that the Beatles were close to breaking up that
year, and during the album recording they could barely stand to be around each
other. When it came time to produce the album exterior, they simply decided to
name the album after their recording studio and take the photo in front of it.
Thanks to the band and album's popularity, today Abbey Road is one of those
free and unusual tourist attractions!
Abbey Road studios is known for producing
legendary artists such as Pink Floyd, Michael Jackson, and Lady Gaga. You might
notice the Abbey Road street signs mounted a bit higher than other signs in
London. This is because they have been frequently stolen, and the local council
moved them to deter would-be music-fan thieves. Today, people from all over the
world stop by this location to take pictures of themselves imitating the famous
artwork where the four band members are walking straight across the crossing.
If you decide to try your hand at crossing this extremely-busy street, go early in the day, when there is less traffic. Be patient and prepared to wait your turn, and be alert as not all of the locals appreciate stopping for tourists....
Can't visit? Check out the live Abbey
Road Cam.
Pick up activities and worksheets to augment your real or virtual trip in the unit study bundle below!
Explore the art, history, geography, food, and culture of England in this cross-curricular unit study….perfect for families getting ready to travel abroad or folks who want to travel via unit studies! Each stop along the roadschooling trip covers a different facet of history and culture with unit information, resources, worksheets, activities, and more...YES! I want 122 pages of FUN STUDIES!
- o Introduction & Geography of England
- o Portsmouth
- o The Mary Rose & naval archaeology
- o London
- o The British Museum & archaeology
- o The Wallace Collection & medieval history
- o The Tower of London / London Bridge & the Tudors
- o Buckingham Palace & royalty
- o Victoria and Albert Museum & medieval art
- o Thames / Globe Theater & Shakespeare
- o Sherlock Holmes Museum & British Literature
- o Abbey Road & British Invasion
- o Leeds
- o Royal Armouries & middle ages
- o York
- o Jorvik & Vikings
- o York Castle & archaeology
- o Haltwhistle
- o Hadrian’s Wall & ancient Celts
- o Vindolanda & archaeology
- o Alnwick
- o Alnwick Castle & architecture
- o Poison Garden & herbs
- o Barter Books & WW2 history
- o Alnmouth
- o North Sea & train history
- o Newcastle o Segedunum & ancient Romans
- o Tips & Tricks for Travelling in England