“The loveliest place in the world”. Discover Agatha Christie’s legacy around the English Riviera!
While planning your itinerary for your time at River Dart Hideaway, make sure to step into the world of one of England’s most celebrated authors – Agatha Christie, the ‘Queen of Crime’!
Explore Christie’s cherished summer home, visit key locations throughout her life, and even experience the Agatha Christie Festival if you’re visiting in September. Discover for yourself the magical locations that inspired many of the world’s most-known tales during your time here in Galmpton!
Life in the English Riviera
Agatha Christie was born and raised in Torquay in 1890 and spent most of her life in the English Riviera. She spent her childhood in a Victorian mansion known as Ashfield, which was demolished in the 1960’s. Today, you will find the spot where the house once stood marked by a blue plaque on Barton Road, Torquay. Ashfield had a pronounced impact on Agatha, where she first began to write poetry and novels as a child.
During the First World War, Agatha worked as a nurse for the Torquay Red Cross Hospital while her first husband, Archie Christie, served in France. She later worked in a dispensary where she became learned in poisons, knowledge she used throughout her writing, most notably in her first published novel ‘The Mysterious Affair at Styles’.
Greenway House
Agatha bought Greenway house in 1938, a beautiful manor overlooking the River Dart, reachable by foot from your Hideaway! The manor was her beloved holiday home throughout her life. The beautiful Georgian mansion is now managed by the National Trust, maintaining Agatha and her family’s belongings and collections. A lovely walk from your Hideaway (Galmpton-to-Greenway-trail-via-Coombe-Lane.pdf) will allow you to experience the atmosphere Agatha Christie herself loved dearly. In her own words, she found Greenway estate to be “the loveliest place in the world”.
The family took considerable pride in collecting books, archaeological artefacts from Agatha’s travels with her archaeologist husband, Max Mallowan, as well as various ceramics and décor of the period. Browse a treasure trove of memorabilia, including first editions of her novels, family heirlooms, and even props from her plays! Explore the tranquil gardens and woodland trails surrounding the manor, known for its spring flowers.
Many locations in Agatha’s books were inspired by Greenway estate, most notably the house itself written as ‘Nasse House’ in ‘Dead Mans Folly’. You will also find references to the village of Galmpton as ‘Nassecombe’, the nearby Greenway Boathouse masquerading as the scene of the crime, and nearby Dittisham as well as the town of Brixham inspiring ‘Brixwell’ in ‘Dead Man’s Folly’. Greenway estate also inspired settings in ‘Five Little Pigs’ and ‘Towards Zero’ and appears as ‘Sunny Point House’ in ‘Ordeal by Innocence’.
The Agatha Christie Festival
In celebration of Agatha’s Christie’s astonishing accomplishment as the country’s best-selling author, having sold over 2 billion copies of her work, you will find Torquay as the proud setting of the Agatha Christie Festival. The festival takes place in September each year, to mark Christie’s birthday on 15th September 1890. The festival includes speakers, performances of her plays and written works, as well as other literary activities, and a Festival Fringe. With the aim of harnessing Agatha Christie’s legacy to promote literature and the arts, the festival is a must-see for fans of the author worldwide and lovers of literature and the arts.
Cockington
Cockington Court is a 17th century manor house in the picturesque village of Cockington. The beautiful village with stone cottages, thatched roofs, and abundant flora dates to the iron age. Cockington Court was previously owned by the Mallock family, family friends of Agatha’s, so Agatha and company would often attend events on the grounds. Agatha herself took part in various theatre productions hosted at the court as a youth, where open-air productions still take place each summer. Today, the café in Cockington Court is named the ‘Seven Dials’ café, after Agatha Christie’s novel ‘The Seven Dials Mystery’.
Today, the village is home to numerous arts and crafts studios, cafes, trinket shops, and galleries, and is well worth a visit during your stay. Browse the diverse displays of local craftsmen and artists’ work, with many local businesses based in the gorgeous studios behind Cockington Court. Enjoy a picnic on the green of Cockington Court manor house or a meal in The Drum Inn to experience a modern take on one of Agatha Christie’s days at Cockington!
The ‘Agatha Christie Mile’
A mile long trail affectionately known as the ‘Agatha Christie Mile’ follows several markers in Christie’s life around Torquay. This self-guided walk takes you past landmarks such as the Grand Hotel, where she spent her honeymoon, the pier where she roller-skated as a child, and Torre Abbey Gardens, home to her collection of poisonous plants, among several other key locations from her life and novels. The walk is a flat, relaxed route, suitable for any curious visitors who would like to spend a day in her shoes!
Elberry Cove
A 9-minute drive from River Dart Hideaway is the beautiful, secluded cove where Agatha and family often spent time swimming, which you might recognise from Agatha Christie’s ‘The ABC Murders’. The small, pebbled beach with the remains of Lord Churston’s bathhouse at one end, an 18th century ruin, is accessible by foot via Broadsands beach, or from Brixham via the South West Coast Path,
This peaceful cove is well worth a visit; a beautiful spot to while away the hours and take a dip. Wild swimmers will love the calm waters and peaceful atmosphere of this beautiful, pebbled cove, hidden away from the livelier Broadsands beach. Just a short stroll away, Broadsands offers a café, public toilets, and a carpark.
Elberry Cove’s isolated nature means a short but uneven trek to the cove awaits you if arriving via Broadsands; an undulating field with astonishing panoramic views, uneven terrain, and a short stretch of steps should be considered before setting off. Alternatively, reach the cove via the South West Coast Path.
Church of St Mary the Virgin
While staying at her Greenway residence, Agatha Christie would attend Church in Galmpton’s small, neighbouring village Churston Ferrers, home to the 14th century Church of St Mary the Virgin. Proceeds from her short story ‘Greenshaw’s Folly’, a Miss Marple tale, funded a gorgeous stained-glass window for the church in 1954. The window was fitted in 1957, and a plaque installed after Christie’s passing. The tiny village of Churston Ferrers is within walking distance from your Hideaway, where the stained-glass artwork can be viewed and admired today.
The English Riviera is full of incredible natural beauty and astonishing history. Your time at Galmpton is the perfect opportunity to fall in love with the area as Agatha once did, experience life through her eyes, and deepen your connection to some of the world’s most loved stories.
Enjoy your time unravelling the mysteries of Agatha Christie’s life here at River Dart Hideaway!
