A Tourist Stay in the Real Baskerville Hall
Clyro Court (Baskerville Hall Hotel), Wales, was Conan Doyle's Model
Jul 4, 2009
One of the best-known Sherlock Holmes stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Hound of the Baskervilles, is set on a fictional country estate, Baskerville Hall, in the wild Dartmoor hills in Devon. However, there was a real Baskerville family who lived at Clyro Court, an impressive country mansion near the tiny village of Clyro in Wales, and Conan Doyle was a friend, related by marriage, who often stayed there as their guest.
There are good reasons to believe that Clyro Court is the real Baskerville Hall. Indeed, the present owners operate the old mansion as a hotel, and are so sure of the connection that they have re-named the place Baskerville Hall Hotel. The good news is that tourists, especially book lovers who flock to the nearby famous bookshop town of Hay-on-Wye, can reserve accommodation in this auspicious house with its strong literary connections.
Traditional Opinion on the Location of Baskerville Hall
As Conan Doyle set Hound of the Baskervilles on wild Dartmoor, it is hardly surprising that fans look to Devon as the source of the author’s inspiration. Indeed, the Guardian newspaper reported (2 Aug 2001) that on the centenary of the story’s publication in Strand magazine, August 2001, fans descended on Dartmoor to relive the experience and try to find the location of various settings.
Christopher Somerville, in an article in the Telegraph (July 4, 2009), identifies the three chief contenders for the model for Baskerville Hall, all in Devon. He suggests Fawlescombe near Ugborough, Hayford Hall, west of Buckfastleigh, and Brook manor, owned by the infamous Richard Cabell, who reputedly sold his soul to the Devil, and roamed as a ghost, accompanied by a pack of hell hounds. The latter seems a likely candidate, as the BBC Devon records that Conan Doyle acknowledged in his 1902 edition his gratitude to friend, Fletcher Robinson, for telling him the Richard Cabell hell hounds legend.
Clyro Court’s Claim to the Baskerville Hall Title
It is, however, intriguing that Conan Doyle often stayed with his friends the Baskervilles in Clyro Court, the solid grey stone mansion that Thomas Baskerville built in 1839. It is also fascinating that, according to accounts displayed by the hotel, many of the descriptions of Doyle’s fictional Baskerville Hall match elements of the design of Clyro Court. For example, he mentioned a square balustrade gallery approached by a double stair. The present Baskerville Hall Hotel (Clyro Court) has such a stairway (see photo below). Doyle has his hero walk at night in a Yew alley. Such an alley, now overgrown, exists at Clyro Court. He mentions rows of oak trees as a drive: there is one to this day.
Local Folk Tales of a Demon Dog
Devon is by no means the only area associated with tales of devil dogs. It is a common folk tale and Wales has its own version, the Gwyllgi ,or Hounds of Hell. In Kington, a Herefordshire town quite close to Clyro, there is a persistent legend about Hergest Court , home of Black Vaughan, who died in 1469 and is reputedly seen accompanied by red-eyed ghost hounds.
While Conan Doyle acknowledges the input of Fletcher Robinson, it is quite likely that, like many authors, he gathered and combined diverse elements, and may well have been told the Hergest Court legend by the Baskervilles. At any rate, it is amusing that he used his friends’ name, and the hotel suggests that he set the story in Devon to prevent his friends being overrun with tourists.
Accommodation at Baskerville Hall Hotel
The present owners would be the first to admit that Baskerville Hall Hotel is no 5-star luxury palace. It would require far too much renovation, upkeep and staffing to justify the appellation. Instead, the owners have created a venue where executive suites, standard rooms, backpacker dormitory accommodation and even camping in the grounds offer something for everyone and at prices that make the experience affordable. Thus, a standard double with full English breakfast can be acquired for just 75 pounds per night.
The décor may be faded but the old world charm is abundantly present. Most bedrooms have four-poster beds so high that a set of carpeted steps on either side are required. Guests should check out the music room with its enormous bay windows, chandelier and fireplace. They will undoubtedly sit in one of the leather wing chairs on either side of the fire place on the second floor landing where the double staircases meet, and feel like Holmes or Watson. The hotel also has a heated indoor pool and sauna rooms, and an excellent chef providing reasonably priced dinner cuisine.
The Hound of the Baskervilles Atmosphere
Guests will be staggered by the views out over the Welsh hills and farmlands and will enjoy the neat gardens, and the opportunity for horse riding. However, a stroll at night will evoke the Hounds and raise the hackles on the neck. The huge building seems to glower against the night sky, the worn stone owls on the back steps seem somehow sinister, and it is not hard to imagine that a ghost flits across one of the upper windows.
For visitors to Hay-on-Wye, the bookshop capital of the world, a stay at Baskerville Hall is the perfect accompaniment to a literary weekend.
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