Agatha Christie’s Greenway – A Photo Story
Agatha Christie’s holiday home Greenway, is just the most beautiful, idyllic place. A mansion on the river Dart that still has the feel of a much loved family home, it’s setting and grounds served as inspiration for Dead Man’s Folly *(the body was found in the boathouse), and ‘Five Little Pigs‘*, where the Battery was a key setting. Greenway is now in the control of the National Trust, and visitors can enjoy all the house, the setting and its vast grounds, getting a feel of what made Agatha, a Devon girl born and bred, tick.
You do not need to book to go to Greenway, but you must book a parking spot if you are travelling by car as the parking is limited. If you struggle with walking, there are buggies that take you up to the main house. Once you have paid entry, there is a great second hand bookshop, a courtyard cafe serving delicious coffee and cakes, and the main gift shop. U would highly recommend buying a book from the main gift shop as you can then have it stamped with the Greenway stamp.
A visit to the Boathouse is an absolute must, but the terrain is hilly, and, if it has been wet, also muddy. Once there you can actually sit in Agatha’s rocking chair where she used to sit and sometimes edit her books (she didn’t actually write at Greenway, it was a holiday home). You can also look at stills and scripts from the TV, David Suchet version of Dead Man’s Folly, which was filmed here as the very last in the Poirot series.
The house itself is lovely, by turns it is rather grand, and, then showing all the signs of a family home. Treasured possessions are just thrown into drawers, which was typical of Agatha’s low key, no nonsense style. The whole family were collectors, and loved to rummage in Devon antique shops. Their collections are displayed in large dressers and are eclectic to say the least.
For true Agatha fans, the collection of numerous editions of her books, some of them very rare, are a feast for the eyes. There is also a signed script that was used for Dead Man’s Folly, taking pride of place in one of the many cabinets.
If you are an Agatha Christie fan, a trip to Greenway is an absolute must. It’s open most of the year, and can be integrated into an Agatha Christie trail.