Video: State of Sherlock Holmes author Arthur Conan Doyle's house 'is a national disgrace' A legal battle is being fought out at the High Court to save the Grade II listed home of Sherlock Holmes author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle from being turned into eight separate houses by developers. Conan Doyle designed and lived in Undershaw with his wife, who suffered from ill health. There he resurrected Sherlock Holmes and wrote a further 14 stories, including his most famous work The Hound of the Baskervilles. Built in 1897, it features his family crests placed in two large, heraldic windows. As well as writing there, Conan Doyle also entertained many of his literary and artistic friends at Undershaw including JM Barrie, creator of Peter Pan and Bram Stoker, creator of Dracula. Solicitors Irwin Mitchell say there were more than 1,300 objections lodged to the conversion, including those from author Stephen Fry and BBC's Sherlock co-creator and actor Mark Gatiss. Other objections came from former head of the Arts Council Sir Christopher Frayling and Jeremy Hunt, the local MP and Culture Secretary.