14 May Agatha Christie’s Greenway
“Time … is only a mode of thought” – Agatha Christie
Agatha and Torquay
Visiting Agatha Christie’s country home, Greenway, was a sort of pilgrimage for me. I’m a huge fan of the “Queen of Mystery” and her memorable characters, especially the inimitable Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. It seems I’m not alone: Christie is said to be the most widely published author of all time, outsold only by the Bible and Shakespeare!
So, when Judy and I were on a literary tour of England recently, we drove down to Torquay, where Christie was born in 1890. Torquay is a popular seaside resort in the southwestern county of Devon and she is commemorated by the Agatha Christie Mile: an easy walk that connects ten Christie-related sites, including a bronze bust in the town center.
Getting to Greenway
Nearby Paignton – a rather less attractive coastal town – is the starting point for the Dartmouth Steam Railway. It was this very railway that Christie would use to get to and from Greenway. It was also taken by Poirot in The ABC Murders (1936) and Dead Man’s Folly (1956). So, naturally, Judy and I boarded the historic train for the nostalgic 20-minute ride to Greenway Halt. This has to be the ideal way to travel to Greenway for the first time.
From the Halt we followed in Christie’s footsteps along a footpath that leads through ancient woodland and opens on to a broad meadow: a high point that affords splendid views across the picturesque valley of the River Dart below. This is English scenery at its most breathtakingly beautiful. Soon we found ourselves looking down on Greenway itself, an impressive Georgian house set in magnificent grounds that slope down to the river bank.
Visiting Greenway House
From 1938 (when she bought it) until her death in 1976 Agatha Christie spent most summers here, completing and editing her books. She called Greenway “the loveliest place in the world”: a fitting description given the beautifully landscaped gardens and stunning views. The house and gardens are easily recognizable as the setting of several Christie stories, including Five Little Pigs (1943) and Ordeal by Innocence (1958).
Entering the house is to step back in time. It is presented as it was in the 1950s, when Christie came here for the summer and Christmas holidays with her second husband, the archaeologist Max Mallowan. Most rooms are open to the public, displaying the family collection of silver, china, books and photographs. Set out on a table in one of the downstairs rooms were games Christie played with her children and grandchildren. In her bedroom upstairs there’s a wardrobe containing some of her clothes. Most poignant was the small room in which she worked on her stories. Her typewriter is still there and the bookcases hold many first editions of her books. The experience was made all the more memorable by the friendly and knowledgeable guides in every room.
Visiting Greenway Gardens
After touring the house, we wandered through the amazing gardens – with their more than 2,700 species of trees and plants – down to the boathouse, the scene of the crime in Dead Man’s Folly. Christie would surely have enjoyed the brilliant TV adaptations of the Hercule Poirot stories starring David Suchet (1989-2013). Fittingly, Dead Man’s Folly – the last episode to be filmed – was shot entirely at Greenway (Nasse House in the story).
The entire property is now owned and managed by the National Trust: a marvelous charity that works to preserve and protect thousands of historic places and spaces “forever, for everyone”. We couldn’t resist the NT’s on-site shop, which carries Christie’s books plus souvenirs, plants and local produce. Then we partook of a delicious Devon cream tea in the Barn Café: also the perfect place for a hot lunch or a slice of cake.
Downriver to Dartmouth
All told, our visit to Greenway lasted more than three wonderful hours. From the house we walked through more of the gardens to the landing stage (Greenway Quay) on the river bank. Here we boarded a small boat for the short ride down the beautiful Dart valley to the pretty town of Dartmouth, set on the estuary of the River Dart, with its imposing 14th Century castle. It’s well worth lingering for a while in Dartmouth, as we did, before taking the ferry across the estuary to Kingswear, whence the steam train back to Paignton. It’s hard to imagine a more delightful way to spend a day in England!
If you’re thinking of visiting Greenway, allow at least three hours to explore the house and gardens (plus tea at the Barn Café). Be sure to outfit yourself with comfortable shoes, a light jacket and a sense of mystery. Looking for more to do in the area? Consider Dartmoor: a wild landscape, the setting for Arthur Conan Doyle’s great Sherlock Holmes mystery The Hound of the Baskervilles (1902). To visit Greenway, Dartmoor and other fascinating sites associated with your favorite writers, plan your itinerary here.