Agatha Christie, perhaps the most famous crime writer ever, was born twenty miles away in Torquay. After her first marriage failed (she discovered her husband was having an affair) she met and married Max Mallowan and moved to Greenway in 1938. The gardens are now part of the National Trust, and because of the lack of parking space they encourage you to arrive there by public transport. With a choice of the bus or a ferry up the river Dart from Dartmouth, you can guess what I did on a glorious summer day!
The ferry calls at Dittisham on the west side of the river, a pretty little village in itself, and like Dartmouth, home to many wealthy yachty types. When you disembark at Greenway, you walk up towards the house with the view of the river unfolding, and I’m sure it must have been the most perfect place for Dame Agatha to write. She used several Devon locations in her books, including Burgh Island, for Ten ittle Indians. They have murder mystery weekends there in the 1930’s art deco hotel, just a few miles down the coast.
The house at Greenway is still in the family, and is not open to the public, her daughter lives there. I was there for the garden and was a little disappointed, it was high summer but it isn’t a flower garden. It may have changed now, as the National Trust have been involved a bit longer. The beauty lies in the view, the journey, and of course if you are a fan, the knowledge that you walk in Agatha’s footsteps.
Click any picture for a slide show.
such a glorious setting for Agatha Christie’s house …. the whole thing feels a little mysterious with glimpses and obstructions abounding 🙂
The view is beautiful but how did you get in if it is not open to the public? I always loved Agatha’s mystery writings… 🙂
The grounds are open to visitors!
It has a great ‘1930s’ feel to it!
A lovely post!
I can feel the love of Devon in your words.
Difficult to believe anyone would deliberately not have flowers in a garden, of any size. Perhpas the occupants are older, and the gardener older still; mow the lawns and clip the (h)edges.
Thank you! Devon is wonderful and I love every inch of it, I can’t imagine living anywhere else 🙂
There are flowers, just not as much as I would have liked. The gardens are National Trust property so don’t worry too much about the poor old gardener!
Must go there!!!!!
Dear TBM I really think you need to put Devon on your list for next spring and summer!
V Jane Marple.
“Dittisham” is a perfect name for a village in a Christie mystery! Aside from that, your photos are so lovely. For some reason, I especially like the one of the moored sailboats dotting the river.
Or the perfect place for a ‘Sharon story’, now there’s a challenge for you!!!
Hmmm. A Gilly Challenge? I think something’s starting to take shape…
It certainly does have the most beautiful views, Gilly. I’m a great Agatha Christie fan, and would love to see her house. Lovely slide show. 🙂
A really interesting series. I’m a big Agatha Christie fan, but never really thought about where she herself lived. I guess if I pictured her at all, it was in Egypt, on one of her archaeologist husband’s digs, not in England at all!
She lived very near to her birthplace!
The view is to die for! beautiful and exciting images. I wish I can go there one day.
This is wonderful, Gilly.