ACTION is under way to overturn a decision not to upgrade the listing of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's former house. Undershaw, at Hindhead, designed by the Sherlock Holmes author, is currently a Grade II listed building. The current status means every effort should be taken to preserve the building's condition. However, The Victorian Society, one of the many groups fighting recent plans to convert the house into smaller homes, recently applied to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to get it upgraded to Grade I. The group wants it upgraded to protect its "historical importance" which, it says, is "indisputable". Any upgrade in listed status would increase the protection afforded to Undershaw should anyone attempt redevelopment there. In fact, the application to upgrade it came last July when several planning applications went in on the site. But the DCMS turned the application down, saying the house lacked sufficient architectural significance to be Grade I listed, and that it received enough protection under its current grade. However, the department did agree to increase the amount of information it holds on the house to help with any future decisions over its future. But now The Victorian Society says it will fight again to upgrade Undershaw, using the 28- day appeal option. The society's senior architectural advisor, Dr Kathryn Ferry, said: "The historical importance of Undershaw is indisputable. It was the home of one of the best-known authors in the English language. "Conan Doyle and Sherlock Holmes are world- famous figures and people around the world care deeply about the house that played such a part in their existences. "This decision is outrageous. When you consider that Tennyson's grandmother's house is listed at Grade II* simply because Tennyson stayed there when he was at school, it seems deeply unfair. We urge the Secretary of State to reconsider." The Haslemere Society, which has also fought against any changes to Undershaw, agreed that the site should be upgraded. President Robert Serman said: "The society is disappointed with the decision, and to be honest we are utterly amazed by it. "Tessa Jowell's department has come out with this extraordinary utterance that Doyle was not sufficiently important to warrant an upgrade." Doyle biographer John Gibson added that the extra information put together by the DCMS, as well as some of the original information, had factual errors which could make a difference to any decision. Mr Gibson claims that as well as listing the years that Doyle owned the house incorrectly, the department's opinion that he is not as highly thought of as other Victorian authors is wrong. In the letter of refusal from English Heritage, the DCMS said that while Sherlock Holmes was "one of the great creations of 19th-century literature", Doyle's other work did not put him in the same category as Charles Dickens or Jane Austen in terms of literary significance. It adds: "Nor does Undershaw have the resonance of Down House, Kent, where Charles Darwin spent most of his life and wrote his great work, The Origin of the Species (sic), which revolutionised 19th century scientific thought." But Mr Gibson claimed the number of worldwide societies devoted to Doyle – around 400 – is more than virtually every other author from the last two centuries, and this should highlight his literary importance. He added that the popularity of Doyle should be enough to secure a Grade I listing, as well as a return to using the site as a restaurant and hotel so the tourism aspect of the house can be maintained. The campaigners' objections have been echoed by contemporary writers, including Ian Rankin and Julian Barnes, both of whom want to see the house given greater protection. Any upgrade would also make Undershaw eligible for cash injections for renovation work – something of which the house is currently in need of. Last month, campaigners finally saw Waverley Borough Council slap an urgent works notice on the building, which has fallen into disrepair since being bought by current owner Desmond Moore in 2005. Fans of the building contacted The Herald several times to report evidence of drugtaking and vandalism on the site, and called on the council to act. Now the decision has been made to place an urgent works notice on Undershaw, Mr Moore has to return the building back to the condition in which he bought it. However, should the building change hands and need money spent to return it to its former glories, a Grade I listing could have brought in some vital cash for repairs. Waverley Borough Council said in a statement this week: "A higher grading for Undershaw from English Heritage would not give greater protection to this very special building in Waverley, as all listed buildings receive equal protection under the grading system. "However, Waverley would welcome the re- grading of Undershaw as a Grade II* or Grade I building as a higher grading would give us greater confidence in carrying out any necessary urgent works that the owner fails to complete. "For buildings with gradings of II* or I, urgent works carried out by the local authority may be underwritten by English Heritage, enabling Waverley to recover some of the costs from English Heritage of carrying out the work should the owner refuse to pay for them. "While Waverley would be pleased if the Victorian Society's challenge to English Heritage's decision were successful, we are not able to offer further information to English Heritage to assist them in reaching a decision." Anyone who would like to add their objections to the decision should write to Tessa Jowell, 2-4 Cockspur Street, London, SW1Y 5DH.
