#minstead

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

(May 22nd 1859 - Jul 7th 1930)

Brief Bio:

Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, Doyle’s childhood was strained by his father’s alcoholism. He studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh, where he was taught by Joseph Bell, who became the inspiration for the character of Sherlock Holmes. Doyle tried several times to launch a medical career, but had little success. In his spare time, he took to writing fiction. A Study in Scarlet was published in 1887, prompting a long and lucrative career as an author of mysteries, though Doyle grew weary of writing them. He often branched out to historical novels and adventure stories. Doyle was a lifelong believer in spiritualism, which caused him to fall out with his friend and Masonic brother Harry Houdini. He served in the Second Boer War, and his writings on the subject led to his being knighted. He died of a heart attack in his home at East Sussex.

Notable Works:

A Study in Scarlet (1887)

The Sign of Four (1890)

The Hound of the Baskervilles (1902)

The Lost World (1912)

The Valley of Fear (1915)

The Maracot Deep (1929)

The Grave:

Doyle is buried in the village of Minstead, Hampshire, which is right in the middle of the New Forest District. Being in a National Park, transit is limited. The nearest rail station is Ashurst New Forest, from which one may take a bus into Lyndhurst. From there, it’s a three-mile walk along a busy road to reach Minstead. Doyle is buried toward the back of the cemetery adjoining All Saints’ Church, under a large tree.

Church Lane, Minstead, GB

SO43 7EX

Surrounding Area:

Minstead is home to The Trusty Servant pub. Nearby Lyndhurst is the final resting place of Alice Liddell, the inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland.

Further Reading:

Arthur Conan Doyle Project Gutenberg

The Arthur Conan Doyle Encyclopedia

New Forest National Park website

New Forest visitor page

Minstead Village website

In 2005, I was studying in London and on my spring break, I went to the New Forest. I'd first been there in late 2003, on a visit to the National Motor Museum. Ever since I'd been there and a few other places in the south and west of England, I'd had a village tugging at the back of my mind. A place with thatched cottages crowded close, narrow sunken lanes, beautiful fields and rolling hills. So, with a B&B in the town of Lyndhurst as my starting point, I set off wandering. I had a tip from the old couple who worked at the B&B that a village much like the one I was describing was just up the road. I found sunken lanes and fields and so many things that resonated. I felt the excitement build as this village that had been gnawing at me could be just around the corner. But when I arrived at the village of Minstead, I was disappointed. This was a lovely place, but it wasn't *my* village.