Greenway
'The loveliest place in the world…'
A beautiful Grade II listed building, Greenway sits above the River Dart. With sweeping views of the river bordered by verdant woodlands, this glorious house once belonged to Agatha Christie, the Queen of Crime and is a Literary Location which is not to be missed.
I have visited a number of times since the property was opened to the public by the National Trust in 2009. It can be reached by taking a boat trip from Dartmouth along the Dart from which glimpses of this beautiful house can be seen through the trees and the boat sails past the boathouse, the scene of Marlene Tucker’s murder in ‘Dead Man’s Folly’. It is possible to drive to the house, but limited parking means it is essential to book in advance- and there is something very special about arriving by the river cruise!
My favourite visit to this fabulous place was in October 2020 when we stayed in the apartment at the top of the house for a week. This was a very special holiday, allowing for plenty of time to absorb the atmosphere of Christie’s enchanting holiday retreat and be inspired. The apartment occupies the top floor of the house and a couple of rooms on the floor underneath. Entering through the old pantry, there are quite a lot of stairs to climb, but this means the flat enjoys wonderful views across the grounds and down to the river. The flat also has a small private garden to enjoy, but we were able to wander the grounds at any time, meaning a lot of the time we had them completely to ourselves.
And the grounds are stunning, offering much to explore. Every evening, we walked through the woods down to the Battery and the boathouse, enjoying recognising the locations from the David Suchet’s ‘Poirot’ episode, ‘Dead Man’s Folly’ (The whole series is available to watch in the flat!) But there is much more to enjoy- the Peach House, Fernery, the North and South Walled gardens all offer plenty to look at and admire whilst strolling through these tranquil gardens.
The house itself is fascinating. Full of treasures collected by the family, items from Agatha’s childhood home and a wonderful collection of books, there is so much to see and enjoy. Her Steinway can be seen in the Dining Room and there are rare first editions of her own works on display in the Fax Room.
Luckily, there are many detective stories in the style of Agatha Christie available to children these days to introduce them to this genre! Fleur Hitchcock has written some excellent books in her ‘Murder’ series. ‘Montgomery Bonbon: Murder at the Museum’ by Alasdair Beckett-King gently mocks the Poirot style of detective whilst the ‘Agatha Oddly’ series has a bold, determined, independent young heroine as the key detective. The ‘Lizzie and Belle Mysteries’ offer an historical setting and the ‘Murder Most Unladylike’ books continue as popular as ever. Sam Sedgman and M G Leonard’s brilliant ‘Adventures on Trains’ series take detection around the world on some of the most famous train journeys, reminiscent of ‘Murder on the Orient Express’ or ‘The Mystery of the Blue Train’. The ‘Christie and Agatha Detective Agency’ books also offer pleasing mysteries- with nods to the work of the Queen of Crime herself. Lots to enjoy before tackling the works of Christie herself!
