Stoke Moran Manor House

Crumbling 200-year-old manor of grey stone with curving crab-claw wings, one ruined, ill-kept lawn, roaming exotic animals.

Stoke Moran Manor House, a crumbling 200-year-old grey stone manor with curving crab-claw wings and a ruined lawn overrun by exotic animals, stands as a foreboding centerpiece in 'The Adventure of the Speckled Band.' Its dilapidated state reflects the financial ruin of its owner, Dr. Grimesby Roylott, who uses the estate's isolation to harbor his menagerie and plot sinister schemes. Though appearing only once in the series, the manor encapsulates gothic horror, serving as the stage for Holmes's investigation into a mysterious death and the thwarted attempt on Helen Stoner's life via a venomous swamp adder.