Conan Doyle’s Houses, London

Setting foot on Devonshire Place, look out for Number 2. Here, Arthur Conan Doyle, a trained physician, once ran an eye surgery clinic. While his medical practice didn't thrive as he had hoped (according to his autobiography, not a single patient sought his services), Doyle found himself spending most of his time here writing stories.

With the tremendous success of his writing career later on, Arthur Conan Doyle ultimately left his medical practice altogether and dedicated himself fully to creating crime stories that left an indelible mark on literature.

Still, perhaps symbolically owing to Doyle's medical profession, today the building affectionately known as Conan Doyle's House is occupied by a dental clinic. Although you cannot tour the interior, a mere standing outside this “literary birthplace” of the revolutionary Sherlock Holmes character is a must for any devoted fan of the great detective.

A pivotal moment in Doyle's literary career was the publication of his first Sherlock Holmes story, "A Study in Scarlet," by Ward Lock & Co., in 1886. Dissatisfied with the publishers, Doyle severed ties with them and began writing for the Strand Magazine. At this juncture, he had moved to his second home, a little bit further down the road, at 2 Upper Wimpole Street.

This house also played a crucial role in the burgeoning career of Arthur Conan Doyle and the eventual fame of his Sherlock Holmes series. Eventually, the Westminster City Council installed a plaque on the door to help visitors identify the location – the second-to-last door on the left side of the road before reaching the intersection with Weymouth Street.