Shrouded in trees: the gothic Cromer Hall

Cromer Hall in Norfolk is said to have inspired the location of the Sherlock Holmes tale, The Hound of the Baskervilles.

The pre-Gothic pile caught the imagination of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle on a golfing trip to the area in 1901.

The coachman who took him on his visit to the house went by the name of Baskerville.

Did this hound-like gargoyle help inspire Conan Doyle?

The stately home's architectural design is similar to that of the novel's Baskerville Hall (the book itself is set in Dartmoor.)

The fearsome hound in the story is believed by many to be based on the legend of Black Shuck - a huge hound with terrifying eyes who is said to prowl the coastline of North Norfolk.

Anyone who looks into his fearsome eyes is said to have only a year to live...the name 'Shuck' may be a derivation of the Old English word Scucca, meaning demon.

East Anglia appears to be something of a haven for these creatures of the night - the Black Dog of Bungay is another local legend. Have you got a story to share about these beasts? Tell us about it.

Internet links:
Ghostly black dogs
www.sherlock-holmes.co.uk


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