Dame Agatha Christie spent much of her life on the English Riviera, and during her time here, she enjoyed stunning beaches, the rich geological landscapes and historical attractions.
Experience Agatha Christie’s English Riviera and use our guide to discover the attractions, activities and events that have an authentic Agatha Christie connection.
The best way for amateur sleuth to unravel the mystery of Agatha Christie's life on the English Riviera is to follow the Agatha Christie Mile. Created with the assistance of the author’s daughter, Rosalind, it is actually around three and a half miles long. This self-guided walking route takes you to places that were important to Agatha's early life including her childhood home, Ashfield, the church where she worshipped and the Agatha Christie bust. With seven plaques to find along the way, it is a picturesque and accessible way of exploring the seafront area of Torquay.
Find out more about the Agatha Christie Mile here or pick up your free printout of the walking route in the Visitor Information Centre on Torquay Harbourside.
If you would rather enjoy a guided walking tour of Torquay and the places that Agatha enjoyed, why not join the English Riviera Walking Tours on their ‘Gentle Introduction to Agatha Christie’. On this tour you will discover Agatha’s childhood home, learn about her involvement in both World Wars and understand the inspiration behind the great Hercule Poirot.
Every September, the English Riviera becomes a crime scene worth some serious investigation, as we celebrate the birthday of our most famous literary daughter. Each year you can expect a series of events coinciding with Agatha’s birthday on 15th September.
Due to the popularity of this event, accommodation gets booked early, so make sure you don’t miss out and discover the best accommodation with an Agatha Christie connection here.
Heritage Attractions
Greenway
As holiday homes go, Greenway House on the banks of the River Dart is impressive. Now in the hands of the National Trust, Agatha bought the estate in 1938 as a family holiday home. Agatha with her second husband, Max, and daughter Rosalind would travel from their main residence in London throughout the year to relax by the river. Agatha would never write in the house, but on summer evenings, family and guests would gather in the drawing room to hear her read from her latest murder mystery and guess ‘whodunit’.
Visiting the house and gardens now is a real treat. The house provides a genuine feel of being lived in and is an extraordinary glimpse into the world of the author and her family. The gardens will take you through a wooded hillside towards the Dart. Agatha was immensely proud of the garden with is many exotic species and now, Greenway is just one of seven gardens in the UK to be recognised as a ‘Garden of Excellence’ by the International Camellia Society.
For something really special, you can stay in the self-catering cottage South Lodge, which is nestled in the woodland gardens of Greenway and was once home to the estate’s gardener. In keeping with Greenway House, South Lodge offers a traditional Georgian interior and stunning views of the River Dart.
Dartmouth Steam Railway and Greenway Halt
Step back in time to when steam trains were the way to travel. If you visit Greenway House, take a nostalgic trip, and arrive the way Agatha did, by steam train.
The Dartmouth Steam Railway runs for seven miles along the spectacular English Riviera coast, along historical viaducts, overlooking quaint beach huts and then follows the Dart to Kingswear.
A number of trains appear in Agatha’s books, and in her novel ‘ABC Murders’ (1936), Hercule Poirot steps off the steam train at Churston Station to investigate a murder at Elberry Cove.
Today, a trip on the Dartmouth Steam Railway with the traditional whistle and stunning views will ensure a great day out for all the family.
Frederick Miller, Agatha’s father, was a fellow of the Natural History Society and helped finance the excavations at Kents Cavern. Agatha used the labyrinth of caves as the inspiration for Hampsley Cavern in ‘The Man in the Brown Suit’ (1924) and it seems likely that Kents Cavern began Agatha’s lifelong fascination with archaeology, resulting in her travel to Iraq in 1928 where important excavations where taking place, and meeting her second husband, Max Mallowan.
Kents Cavern is now one of Europe’s top prehistoric Stone Age caves and a must visit for those interested in both the cultural connection with Agatha and the incredible history of cave animals and early humans in the caverns beneath the surface.
Agatha’s father, Frederick Miller, was a member of the Torquay Natural History Society, which later became Torquay Museum. In her youth, it is likely that Agatha attended events and talks there.
Torquay Museum now hosts Britain’s only dedicated Agatha Christie gallery. Re-developed and improved recently, the new gallery now enables visitors to step inside Poirot’s study and lounge, including furniture, books, pictures and even fireplaces from his beautiful London Art Deco apartment which featured in the ITV adaptations starring David Suchet.
During her lifetime, Agatha sponsored many Brixham Horticultural and Fishing Competitions. Head to Brixham Heritage Museum to discover more about Agatha's connection to the quaint fishing town of Brixham.
This spectacular building was founded in 1196, originally as a monastery and then converted to a Georgian mansion in the 1740s by the Cary family who lived there for over 270 years. In the 1930s, it was sold to Torbay Council to be used as a museum and arts centre. Agatha would have attended social functions here whilst the building was in the care of the Cary family.
Now, Torre Abbey is home to the Agatha Christie Potent Plants Garden and hosts the annual International Agatha Christie Festival.
Natural Environment
During her life, Agatha Christie loved to spend time outside, swimming in the local beaches and playing tennis with her family. The stunning natural environment of the English Riviera provided inspiration for many of her books. Below we detail the beaches, parks and gardens that Agatha enjoyed, in the hope that you can enjoy them too.
The Princess Gardens feature in one of Agatha’s most popular mysteries, ‘The ABC Murders’ (1936), a central character called Mr Alexander Bonaparte Cust sits in a shelter facing Torquay Harbour reading the paper, only to read about a murder.
Based alongside Torquay’s seafront, Princess Gardens is a peaceful garden, popular with locals and visitors alike, and features a palm-tree lined promenade, well-manicured flowerbeds and an ornate water fountain.
Agatha famously enjoyed roller-skating on Princess Pier, and this is, in fact, the subject of one of her most recognisable photos.
The pier is a perfect place to stop and enjoy the fresh sea breeze and the beautiful views over the Bay. It is also a great place to watch the sun set below the hills.
Until 1900, mixed gendered bathing was not allowed. As a child, Agatha would therefore swim at one of the dedicated ladies’ bathing places. Beacon Cove was formerly known as Ladies’ Bathing Cove, and one of Agatha’s favourite place to swim.
Beacon Cove is a shingle beach, with a sheltered sunny spot even out of season, and just a short walking distance from Torquay Harbourside.
Elberry Cove was another of Agatha’s favourite bathing spots. Her holiday home at Greenway is not far away, and the cove features in one of her novels, ‘The ABC Murders’ (1936), as the setting of Sir Carmichael Clarke’s untimely death.
At one end of the cove stands the ruined remains of Lord Churston’s Bathing House, dating back to the 18th Century. The building was once three storeys, with a thatched roof and a ground floor that would flood when the tide came in. This meant that Lord Churston and his guests could swim straight out into the sea through a gated doorway. The building also boasted an early version of a hot tub, with a fire heating up the seawater to warm swimmers after their dip.
Elberry Cove is a short walk from Broadsands, past the pastel-coloured beach huts and around Churston Point. The first glimpse of Elberry Cove is stunning: with its shingle beach spilling into the sparkling turquoise waters.
English Riviera Things To Do
There's plenty of Things To Do on the English Riviera, from world-class attractions to breath-taking beaches, to exploring the UNESCO Global Geopark.
With plenty of Agatha Christie Accommodation to suit all budgets and requirements and lots of Agatha Christie Things To Do why not choose Torquay, Paignton or Brixham as your base and immerse yourself in the Agatha Christie experience.
With thanks to Matt Newbury and Tor Mark for granting permission to use their book 'Agatha Christie's Devon' to support the development of this page. If you would like to learn more about Agatha Christie, you can purchase 'Agatha Christie's Devon' online here or from the Visitor Information Centre on Torquay Harbourside. Reprinted by permission of Tor Mark Press © 2020
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Potent Plants Torre Abbey
Dame Agatha Christie, known throughout the world as the ‘Queen of Crime’, is a literary genius, was born in Torquay and remained on the English…
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