Sherlock & Co. - Abbey Grange - Part One

Episode Date: July 22, 2025

BACK TO THE FUTURE - It was a blistering summer's day. Sherlock and I had probably over-indulged at The Volunteer and in our giddy stupor we arranged a 'tourist day' in London while Mariana visited her family. Our fun stretched beyond the boundaries of the capital, to Gravesend in Kent... Where we bumped into an old friend. Part 1 of 3 This episode contains swearing,  Listener discretion is advised. For merchandise and transcripts go to: www.sherlockandco.co.uk For ad-free, early access to adventures in full go to www.patreon.com/sherlockandco To get in touch via email: [e-mail] me @DocJWatsonMD on twitter and BlueSky, or sherlockandcopod on TikTok, instagram and YouTube.  This podcast is property of Goalhanger Podcasts. Copyright 2025.SHERLOCK AND CO. Based on the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Paul Waggott as Dr. John Watson Harry Attwell as Sherlock Holmes Marta da Silva as Mariana Ametxazurra John Brannoch as WigginsRhys Tees as PC Stanley HopkinsChristine Triffitt as Margaret Brackenstall Additional Voices:Esmonde ColeNeil MartinAmethyst ElsonDarcey FergusonLauren HallJoel EmeryAdam Jarrell Written by Joel Emery Directed by Adam Jarrell Editing and Sound Design by Holy Smokes Audio Produced by Neil Fearn and Jon Gill Executive Producer Tony Pastor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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we'd call them rich, but they're just five bucks. New $5 steak burritos, only at Taco Bell. Come join the Patreon. It's a huge community now with loads of extra cool stuff. patreon.com forward slash Sherlock and co. yeah anyway I hope you enjoyed the golden pants today sorry about all the thanks for listening why don't you show me the levels what test test bloody no Test. Test. Where's the bloody... Oh, is that even recording if I can't see the... Test. Golden Pantsnay. Sherlock and co. Test. John Watson testing the mic in his bedroom. 221B Baker Street. Test. Test. On the 10th of December 2023. Hello? Hello? Hello? Hi. Hi.

Sorry, I didn't want to just... No, no, it's okay. But I could hear you. What are you doing? I'm just re-recording the end of Golden Pants Nae Part 3. It goes out in like... Two days, yep. Right, okay. Two things. I know your mum just stayed over, but guess what? Oh no, what did she do? Please don't let it be weird. No, nothing. I was just saying, now my mother is visiting. Oh, okay. Great.

She's gonna have my room and I'm gonna have the couch so the office is kinda... It's fine, don't worry. And there's a good thing. Speaking of the office, Stanley Hopkins is on the phone. Ah, is it about the case? He says it's something else and he needs you right now. Okay. Um... okay. My name is Dr John Watson, once of the British Army Northumberland Fusilier Regiment, now a true crime podcaster based in central London. I don't have much experience in criminology, so this is mostly a record of how I met possibly the most brilliant and bizarre person I have ever and will ever know.

Join me as I document the adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Morning! Morning, morning, morning! Welcome to the... er, something of July 2025. I am your tourist partner for the day. Our dear Mariana has ventured off to... I dunno Spain I think I wasn't listening. So we even though we promised it to each other after a few pints... We promised we were going to have a touristy day in London did we not? No. Ha ha ha! Look, look, it's on your calendar. Trains of Northern Europe 2025 calendar. Good lord mate. Tourist day with Watson, it proclaims. Ha ha ha ha! Calendar

says it, that means it must be done. Your rules, not mine. Up we get, up we get to quote a really irritating guy I know, Chop Chop, the game is afoot. What the... Up we go! Ah! This core is defective. Yeah, they all are. Just aim for the teddy near the actual shoot. I don't want that teddy. Well, we don't want any teddies.

We just want you to win, you complete... Oh. Oh, that's unbelievable. Mm-hmm. Absolutely unbelievable. Like the, um... The caramel. Mm-hmm. Absolutely unbelievable. The caramel. Oh. And on your right, you'll see

Harrods. Ah, there it is. Look. Mm-hmm. Yes, I have seen it, Watson. You can buy many, many things in Harrods, and even as late as the 1960s, you could buy a real lion cub. Lion cub? Yeah!

No, that's crazy! Can we get off this bloody bus now? Wow, look at this one. Here lies Sir Isaac Newton. Incredible. I like this one. What, Isaac Newton? No, Westminster Abbey.

Very appealing. Very satisfactory tourist activity. Yeah, dead famous folk. what's not to like? I with grief and extreme aid shall perish, and nevermore behold thy face again. Therefore take with thee my most grievous curse, whisper the spirits of thine enemies, and promise them success and victory.

Bloody thou art, bloody will be thy end, Shame serves thy life, and doth thy death attend. Stay! Madam, I must talk a word with you! I have no more sons of the royal blood for thee to slaughter, Richard. All unavoidable is the doom of destiny! Nasty bastard, mate, I'm telling you. I don't quite understand how you hold such disdain for a man that lived over 500 years ago. Well, because Richard III is just like, one of those guys, isn't he? How could we possibly determine if he is one of those guys?

Yeah, well, you know, that play we just watched for a start. I mean, Shakespeare doesn't get much wrong, does he? William Shakespeare provides us with many things, but accurate insight into a king that was at least 100 years before his time is not one of them. Eh, the whole time through that, though, I was just thinking, you know, laugh it up Dicky Mate because some weird woman's gonna find you in a car park in Leicester one day.

Sorry, I don't quite follow. Richard the Third was in a car park? Yeah, he was buried in one. In a car park? Well no, someone just chucked his body in a ditch back in the day. And the car park was later constructed. That's right, yeah. Killed in battle, I think. Big axe to the face, as you do. Then, um, you're dragged naked by a horse for a while. Why?

Dunno. Dunno. I guess they didn't have TV back then, so you've got to make your own fun, haven't you? Once again, it seems rather cruel. Ha ha, because he was a bellend, mate. And being dragged naked by a horse befits such a person, does it? Ah, you too, man. Oh hey, Wiggins! You make this eavesdropping business painful. Jesus.

Watson here was discussing the demise of Richard III. Sherlock feels bad for a man that is literally the cockney rhyming slang for turd. Don't you guys work no more? We're on holiday. You're on holiday? Yep. In London? Yep.

The place where you live? Yeah, we've been tourists. Look, take our picture. Come on man, are you kidding? Please don't. It's Tower Bridge, come on! I mean look at that beaut. Actually, you get in the picture too Wiggins. Come on, in you get Wiggles.

We're not getting in the picture. Do we have to smile? Yes. Three, two, one... Cheers. Cheese! Ha ha ha ha ha ha! Glorious! Done. Is this what happens when the boss goes away, is it?

Oh, well, firstly, Mariana is our business partner, not our boss. Secondly, how did you know she's away? Cos I know everything and everyone. In fact, your boss pays me to know those things. Oh, you know everyone, do you? Everyone that matters, pal. Like, I don't know this lad here on the bike. You alright, Wiggins? Oh, maybe I do.

Ah, can you not? What? Don't lean over the side. Why not? I'm looking over the side. Why not? I'm looking at the river. Yes, but I'd rather you didn't. Why? Rather mesmerizing though, isn't it?

The churn and flow of the water. The reason why, Sherlock, is I don't want you to fall into the river. Well, I kinda want you to now. I'd survive it. Yeah, and I'd survive another two hours of Shakespeare, mate. Doesn't mean I wanna do it. Quite the remarkable structure, isn't it?

Tower Bridge. Mm-hm. Very nice. Do you fancy a pint, Wiggles? We're not doing this Wiggles thing, all right, John? Why not? I like it. The technological marvel of the Victorian era. Imagine being present in 1894 for its erection, Watson.

Yeah, no thanks. Just for its erection, Watson. Yeah, no thanks. Just imagine the erection, man. Are you picturing the erection, yeah? I would say act your age, but you are actually a child. I'm 18. Well, 18 and under get discounted tickets at the Tower of London, mate, if you want to join us for our next tourist experience. Never mind discounted, I'll get you in there for free, man.

Thought you wanted a pint. Wait, wait, wait. You can get us in for free? Yep. Why? Because I know everyone. Right, right. Something free or a pint of beer, quite the predicament for you, isn't it Watson? This is now known as the Bloody Tower of course, but when it was first built in the 1200s, it was known as the Garden Tower, a much nicer name, I think we'd all agree. But its notoriety eventually prompted the new title.

Nothing more notorious of course, than the murder of Edward V and Richard of Shrewsbury. Just 12 and nine years old at the time, they were put into the tower by their uncle, for safe keeping. But they were never seen again. And that uncle became the king we know as Richard III. See, told you mate, wanker. Sorry, what was that? Er, I just said it, it's very sad.

Very sad. Very sad. Very disturbing for the people at the time. The princes in the tower as they were known. Their disappearance prompted a furious backlash and the uprising by Henry Tudor, who eventually defeated Richard in battle and took the crown for himself, becoming Henry VII. That, of course, is the convenient truth. The inconvenient one is that Henry himself disposed of the boys and used it as a touch paper from which his rebellion was lit. And if you'd like to follow me come through this way.

See, told you mate. This Thames path goes on forever. Not quite. How long does it go on for then? It finished back at the flood barrier in Woolwich. Oh. But this particular trail will continue right to its mouth, where it breaks out into its estuary before emptying into the North Sea. Yeah, right. Well, maybe we don't go all the way to the North Sea, how about that? Where are we now? Graves End.

Wow! We cycled to Kent! We did indeed. Ha ha, now we really are on holiday. If we turn off here... Yeah, Roger that. Turning off, doing the little cyclist hand signal. It's a bit dainty in my execution there, but otherwise pretty good.

We can just eventually take the high street right up to Ebsfleet, and then return to the path. Okay, fine. Why don't we just, erm... Because I'm hungry! Ah, fair enough. Can you slow down, please? I don't know where the high street is. You do, apparently. You do know. You've been here before. What the hell are you talking about? Come on!

He is talking absolute rubbish. Rubbish, I tell you, dear listeners. Ooh, hold on. Yous. Youfs. Stupid bag. Oh, lovely. Nothing like being mocked by intimidating teenage boys.

Really gives you a boost of confidence. Ah, shit! Oh, for God's sake. Great. Great. Thank you! Flat tire! Flat... Oh!

Hilarious! Mate, hilarious! Oh, nice balaclava by the way! You know it's a heat wave right now! Watson... Are you really that ugly? You need to cover it up! Will you please just ignore them? Did your mummy knit it for you, did she? I'll get her to make me one when I see her! Oh shut your mouth! I'm picking her up at eight, yeah? So if you wanna be all tucked up in bed by then.

Yeah? Man wanna act up, man wanna act up, yeah keep moving like that, yeah? Tell him what's good. Ah, not acting up mate. It's just it's nearly your bedtime, isn't it? Have a little bubble bath with your boyfriend here. Oi, big mistake bro, big mistake, yeah?

Yo man's in trouble now if a man is in big, big trouble. Oh I'm in trouble, am I? Oi, get off, get off. Please move away away thank you. Make fucking smoke that little pussy ass bitch! He needs his face broken asking for change. Karma's gonna catch you! And what about you? Are you a fucking choir boy or something? There's no karma chasing you is there? Watson please I am attempting to de-escalate. Oh no sorry sorry mate the right Reverend Bellend here was just delivering justice. Your man's moving bare mad here. He's gonna get dipped.

My man will not get dipped and neither is he moving bare mad. He is frustrated at your taunts. That is all. Err, and the flat tire. Bro was moving mad with his mouth. Yeah. Man's gonna hold that. Yo, you regret chatting reckless fam, yeah?

You regret it? I'm army, mate. Yeah, and I'm a doctor. I'll kick your arse and then I'll stitch you back up if I'm feeling mate yeah and I'm a doctor I'll kick your ass and then I'll stitch you back up if I'm feeling bad about it which I definitely won't be what's my man talking about move away gentlemen you don't touch me bro please I am asking that you just hey hey hey whoa put the knife down put the knife down The Naked Gun So what did you want to talk about? Well, I want to tell you about Wagovi. Wagovi? Yeah, Wagovi.

What about it? On second thought, I might not be the right person to tell you. Oh, you're not? No. Just ask your doctor. About Wagovi? Yeah. Ask for it by name.

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Alcohol in select markets. Product availability may vary by Regency app for details. I could have knocked them out. All three of them. Yes, I'm sure. They didn't have to slash the other tyre with that knife, did they? You know, I would have hit the big one first, and then when the other two would have come for me, do you know what I would have done? No, I do not know, because it is a total fantasy and a fiction which is materialising entirely within your own mind. Look, I held my own there.

Not really. What do you mean not really? If it wasn't for my de-escalation... They wouldn't have been able to get us both, mate. Alright? Except they were armed and we are not. Tch. I'm armed with a quick whip, mate. There's no greater weapon.

I assure you, there is. Oh god, there is something about pushing a bike, isn't there? It's just... Nothing feels more defeating, nothing. Except when you have to give up on the chopsticks and go for the fork. Total defeat. You will be on a new bike momentarily. Who does that to someone riding a bike?

I mean, what in the name of jee- Oh, sorry, just realised we're next to a church. You're too slow. I will cycle to the high street. There may be other cycle hires and we can make the swap. We're not in London anymore Dorothy. Dorothy? No, it doesn't matter. If you can find one that'd be great. Thanks. One moment. Yeah, bye. Wonderful. Just walking in a graveyard and

podcasting obviously, I don't quite know if this is disrespectful or respectful or just neither of those, just a neutral sort of neither disrespectful nor respectful sort of thing. So yeah, this is a graveyard in Gravesend, Gravesend in Kent. Still on the Thames. Don't know if you can hear the old river sloshing away in the background. Maybe. Not sure if Mike is picking that up. Yeah, just... I've always liked graveyards, cemeteries. Can make for some sad reading at times, but you do get some cracking names like this fella Bartholomew T. Birch 1799 to 1888 look it's not a bad innings that I

think if you're getting past 75 in those days you've you've nailed it Amos Broom 1724 to 1760 Amos mate Amos mate, same age as me. Lived with honour, the moral sense that guides. I can't read the rest of it because it's 260 years old so it's kind of crumbly. Although I tell you what, one next to him is 1677 and in much better condition. I think Amos might have been a wee bit tight with this gravestone. Tell you what, there's a big old, like a statue over here, bare with. It's a woman statue. A woman statue, have you heard yourself John?

This 1595 to 1617 Pocahontas am i am i going mad where awoke amoco Gloucester county virginia born to Powhatan people as Ammonute also known as Rebecca Rolfe. In March 1617 Pocahontas boarded a ship to return to Virginia. She became ill within moments and at Graves End was taken ashore where she died of unknown causes. Whoa! Just around the riverbend as she famously said. Here she is. Unbelievable. Well, it's great to meet you, Pocahontas.

Sorry you are all the way over here in Kent and not on your native shores. Shout out to Pocahontas. I mean, she did an email, but yeah, I think she deserves one. Did not have an easy life from the looks of it. From a brief glance at the old Wikipedia, passed around from her father's ownership to then Thomas Rolfe. Guess that depiction of freedom is just something Disney gave us. Watson!

Yeah, on my way. Right, good to meet you, Pocahontas. Thank you for coming on the show. You won't believe who I just saw. I'll give you a clue. She likes to paint with all the colours of the wind. I see your poker, hauntus, and I raise you. Oh, you do? Oh, who's this then?

Who's on your gravestone? Should we do it like, um, like guess who? Do they wear glasses? Margaret Brackenstall? Can that really be buried just a few months ago. In May. Wow. Told you. Told me what?

That you'd been here before. Abbey Grange is just on the next street. No way. Well it was. Closed down shortly after... It all happened. Yeah. Yeah. Nice to see you again, Margaret. I hope your final days weren't too... weren't too tough.

She died, Watson. She died, me. Our fifth case together. Yeah. And I never released it. You didn't? No. What? I never released those episodes.

You never released the case of Abby Grange? Adventure? And no, I didn't. Do you listen to the bloody show? I did not release it, mate. Well, she's no longer with us. Perhaps it may be time. Her story is ready to be told. So, erm... yeah, hi. Hello. Ding dong, this is your captain speaking. I hope you're enjoying the episode. This... I've never done this before.

I hope it doesn't impede your experience of this adventure, but yes, I felt that it was important you hear all that before I do this to you. Everything you hear after this point is from 2023. Erm... Yeah, right after we sorted the Golden Pants, nay, we were right back out to Kent with Stanley Hopkins. To... to... to Abbey Grange elderly residence home in Gravesend. This adventure is... sad and bleak and contains all the difficult themes that come towards the end of our lives. The full warnings can be found in the episode description.

Now, get ready, and come with me back in time. I know your mom just stayed over but guess what? Oh no, what did she do? Please don't let it be weird. No, nothing. I was just saying, now my mother is visiting. Oh, okay. Great. She's gonna have my room and I'm gonna have the couch, so... The office is kinda... It's fine, don't worry.

And the second thing. Um, speaking of the office... Stanley Hopkins is on the phone. Ah, is it about the case? He says it's something else and he needs you right now. Okay. Um... Okay.

Come on! No, no. This way. Okay, okay, okay, okay, okay. Not this one. DING! Come on! No, no. This way. Okay, okay, okay, okay, okay. Not this one. Not this! Shh. Shh. I can hear... That one.

Yes. Calling units in the vicinity of Abbey Grange Care Home. This is PCSO Hopkins. Hello! Hello in there. My name is Sherlock. I'm a private investigator. Hello! We are trying to help. Can you open the door? I have a doctor with me. Hello, hi! You can't open the door? I can't open it. Okay, what's your name my lovely? Margaret. Hi Margaret, my name's John. Hello.

Yes, hello. Can you do me a favour and just make your way to the door and unlock it for us please Margaret? I'm tied up. I think I'm... Someone has tied you up Margaret. Is that correct my love? Yes. Jesus Christ. Someone has tied you up Margaret is that correct my love? Yes Margaret I'm just gonna ask you to stay calm We are gonna sort this I promise What did you um what did you get up to this week Margaret? I am I went to see the ponies we went on the bus. Oh that sounds fab! And we... there was a theatre night, the local theatre. Theatre? Oh and I missed it. You invite me next time, alright? Yes and I had seat 32. That's my lucky number. I said to Evelyn, it's going to be a good play and it was wonderful.

That's great, that's so great. 32, eh? What are you doing? It's a care home for the elderly, so that means very little electronics. They don't get on with them, Watson. Yeah, you ought to see my nan with her iPad mate. Sherlock, I've got units on the way. She is restrained and we have, from the sound of it, a second victim with a severe trauma. Ah, I'm not qualified to enter this scenario. Yes you are. Anyone is. You take photos Stanley. Understand me. You take as many photos as you can. Preserve the scene.

Will do, yes, Roger that. So, low tech to keep the residents happy. And we have conventional locks and I am more than proficient in cracking them open. Oh, nice one. Okay, Margaret, we're just coming in. Oh, nice one. Okay, Margaret! We're just coming in. Everything is going to be alright.

Help her, my friend. Please. Okay, okay, okay. Jesus, that's a lot. We have got a problem here. Is she alive? There's so much blood. I can't find a puddle. What? Excuse me! Excuse me!

You call an ambulance please! Move out of this room immediately! Let me deal with Eustace. Please just call an ambulance. Margaret, let me take a look at that restraint for you. I can untie that knot. Goodness. Right, I need both of you to wait in reception.

Are you an officer? I'm a PCSO, so... Then I need you... Just call a fucking ambulance! Eustace, my darling, are you alright? Is that her name? Eustace? Yeah? Eustace? If you can hear me, my love, I'm... You've got quite severe facial trauma, erm...

A lot of blood, I'm just... I'm gonna put you in the recovery position and keep your head elevated. We don't want you choking on that blood, do we now? Oh dear, lots on the carpet. Not to worry, it'll be alright. Check Eustace's pupils for me quickly. Will do. Um, they don't seem all that responsive and they're uneven.

Shit, shit, she... Oh bollocks, that could be brain injury. Yeah. Er, what, erm... erm... what do we do? Er, I keep her in position, we get her to a hospital, then erm... Then we... We find the monster that did this. To binge this adventure in full and without ads go to patreon.com forward slash Sherlock and Co. The Thanks for watching!