Agatha Christie Bust in Torquay

Agatha Christie Bust in Torquay WWP

Photo credit - Jaggery

A bronze bust of Agatha Christie resides outside the Pavilion theatre in her hometown of Torquay, where her first husband, Archie Christie, proposed to her after attending a Wagner concert. Carol Van Den Boom-Cairns created the bust in 1990 as part of the anniversary celebrations of the famous English author. Her daughter, Rosalind Hicks, unveiled it.

The bust is a stop on the Agatha Christie Mile – a self-guided walking tour along Torquay seafront. It features various landmarks significant to Christie’s life and works, such as Princess Pier, where she roller-skated, the strand that appears in many of her books, Torre Abbey Garden, which inspired many of the poisons in her novels, numerous memorial plaques, and the Agatha Christie Gallery at Torquay Museum. Soon to join the Agatha Christie Mile is a full-size statue of Christie made by artist Elisabeth Hadley.

Agatha Christie (1890-1976) is one of the best-sellers authors of all time and became known as the Queen of Mystery for her many detective novels. She was born in Torquay, England, into a middle-class family. Being homeschooled, she taught herself to read at the age of five, and by the age of ten, she wrote her first poem and has never stopped writing since.

After many years of getting rejected by publishers, she published her first novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, in 1920, introducing the world to her most beloved character – Hercule Poirot. She became known as a distinguished author who wrote 74 novels, 14 short story collections, and 19 plays; her books were translated into over 100 languages and adapted into dozens of films, TV series, and stage plays. Inspired by her own experiences, many of her stories occurred in places she visited, including her hometown of Torquay, archeological sites in the Middle East, and a memorable ride on the Orient Express. At the time of her death, 85 years old Christie held the record of the best-selling novelist of all time.

A 30-minute drive south will take you to Greenway house and garden, the summer house of Christie and her family. Nowadays is a museum that provides a glimpse into her life in her home and the surroundings she loved.

Agatha Christie Mile - Torquay

Join Matt Newbury from Torbay Council as he talks about one of his favourite walks in the English Riviera on England’s Seafood Coast, the Agatha Christie Mile.

This walk begins at The Grand Hotel and as the name suggests, takes a mile to reach the final stop at The Imperial Hotel walking past many of the important places from the Queen of Crimes life.

Walking helps us connect to nature, relax, exercise, and take time away from the stresses of daily life. With a plethora of routes on offer to suit all abilities, walking on England's Seafood Coast you will discover wild landscapes, thriving wildlife and rich heritage.

The English Riviera is home to 22 miles of the South West Coast Path with stunning sea views across the unique English Riviera UNSECO Global Geopark. The network of winding footpaths along the dramatic coastline are popular with ramblers, bird watchers, photographers and dog walkers alike.

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Palk St, Torquay TQ2, United Kingdom



Agatha Christie Mile - Torquay

Join Matt Newbury from Torbay Council as he talks about one of his favourite walks in the English Riviera on England’s Seafood Coast, the Agatha Christie Mile.

This walk begins at The Grand Hotel and as the name suggests, takes a mile to reach the final stop at The Imperial Hotel walking past many of the important places from the Queen of Crimes life.

Walking helps us connect to nature, relax, exercise, and take time away from the stresses of daily life. With a plethora of routes on offer to suit all abilities, walking on England's Seafood Coast you will discover wild landscapes, thriving wildlife and rich heritage.

The English Riviera is home to 22 miles of the South West Coast Path with stunning sea views across the unique English Riviera UNSECO Global Geopark. The network of winding footpaths along the dramatic coastline are popular with ramblers, bird watchers, photographers and dog walkers alike.
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Agatha Christie Gallery at Torquay Museum WWP
Museum

Agatha Christie Gallery at Torquay Museum

Torquay, England, UK

The Agatha Christie Gallery at Torquay Museum, located in the hometown of the prominent novelist, hosts the only permanent exhibition in the UK dedicated solely to the Queen of Mystery. Since 1990, the museum had various changing exhibitions commemorating Christie’s life and work; over time, the collection expanded to contain more than 700 items, and the exhibit became permanent. The exhibit follows her life narrative, from her childhood in Torquay to her later years in Winterbrook. It includes information panels, photographs, and personal artifacts, such as clothes, handwritten notes, and first editions of her novels. The gallery also preserves memorabilia from the TV show Agatha Christie’s Poirot, donated by ITV Studios, Acorn Productions Ltd, HarperCollins Ltd, and David Suchet, who played the mustached detective. This part of the exhibition includes furniture, pictures, books, the fireplace from Poirot’s apartment, and his signature swan cane. As part of the annual International Agatha Christie Festival, the gallery offers various events, such as talks and film screenings. This gallery is one of the stops on the Agatha Christie Mile, a self-guided walking tour of Torquay that explores many of Christie’s landmarks. It includes her statue, the honeymoon site at the Grand Hotel, her roller-skating spot at Princess Pier, the strand from many of her novels, and the Agatha Christie bust on Palk Street. A 30-minute drive south will take you to Greenway house and garden, the summer house of Christie and her family. Nowadays is a museum that provides a glimpse into her life in her home and the surroundings she loved. Agatha Christie (1890-1976) was born in Torquay, England. At five, she self-learned to read, and five years later, she wrote her first poem. As a young female author, her works got rejected by publishers. Only in 1920 did she publish her first novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles. It was the first appearance of her most famous character, Hercule Poirot, who later appeared in 25 more books and numerous short stories. Her experiences and world travel influenced Her writing. During her life, she published 74 novels (66 of them are thrillers), 14 short-stories collections, and 19 plays. Her books were translated into over 100 languages, and many of them got adapted into films, TV series, and stage plays. Share:This post is also available in: Español Read more...
Anne of Cleves House WWP
Museum

Anne of Cleves House

East Sussex, England, UK

Anne of Cleves (1515-1557) was born to a noble family in Düsseldorf, then in the Kingdom of Germany. After the death of his third wife, Jane Seymour, King of England, King Henry VIII wanted to form a political alliance with Anne of Cleves’s brother, a leader of the Protestants in western Germany. He sent an artist to portray Anne and her sister, and by that picture, the 49 years old King Henry destined 24 years old Anne to be his wife. On her way to England, Anne and the king met. During that meeting, she was unaware she was meeting the king and future husband and barely paid attention to him; he, on the other hand, was disappointed with her looks and lack of sophistication. Yet, they got married after five days but never consummated their marriage. Six months later, she was ordered to leave and give her agreement to an annulment. On 12 July 1540, only seven months after their wedding, Anne’s marriage to the king was annulled on the grounds of non-consummation. As part of the annulment settlement, Anne received a generous income, three estates, including the family home of the king’s second wife Anne Boleyn, and a property in East Sussex, which became known as Anne of Cleves House, though she never lived there. In the following years, Anne became close friends with the king; she was a frequent visitor to his court and maintained a good relationship with his two daughters and future queens, Mary and Elizabeth. When Mary succeeded the throne, Anne was accused of plotting with Elizabeth to replace her and make England Protestant again. She was never invited to the court again. Anne died a few years later, at the age of 41. Although Anne of Cleves never lived in the house named after her, the 16th-century timber-framed structure preserves Tudor’s way of life. The architect Walter Godfrey restored the house as a museum, and the Sussex Archaeological Society operates it. On display are authentically furnished rooms, including a Tudor kitchen, parlor, a bedroom with four poster beds, a collection of domestic artifacts, and a selection of royal clothes that visitors may try on. The museum also exhibits Wealden iron-making exhibition, which includes a hammer found in Etchingham, a cannon, and several iron firebacks. Do not miss a visit to the garden, home to shrubs, herbs, and fruit trees, which were planted according to traditional Tudor planting schemes. Also in Lewes are Virginia Woolf’s Monk’s House, Lewes Castle & Barbican House Museum, the 1500’s Grange gardens, and the Glyndebourne Opera house. Share:This post is also available in: Español Read more...
Dorothy L Sayers Statue WWP
Memorial & Statue

Dorothy L Sayers Statue

Witham, England, UK

A statue of Dorothy L Sayers, a novelist, poet, playwright, and translator, who created the fictional amateur detective Lord Peter Wimsey, stands in front of her home at Newland Street, Witham. Dorothy L. Sayers (1893-1957) was born in Oxford in an academic environment. She attended the Godolphin School and later studied modern languages and medieval literature at Somerville College, Oxford. In 1916, at 23, Sayers published her first book of poetry and continued publishing her poems while working at Blackwell Publishing as a teacher in France and as a copywriter in London advertising. In 1923, Sayers published her first novel, Whose Body, introducing her most famous character, Lord Peter Wimsey, who later appeared in more than ten novels and short stories. Three years later, she married Oswald Atherton Fleming. Following her father’s death, Sayers bought the cottage in Newland Street, Witham, to accommodate her mother. In 1930, a year after her mother died, she and her husband bought the house next door and lived there for the rest of her life, publishing dozens of novels, short stories, poem collections, essays, and plays. In addition, Sayers translated Dante’s Divine Comedy and founded and served as president of the Detection Club. She died at the age of 64. The Dorothy L Sayers Society commissioned the bronze statue and chose the sculptor John Doubleday to create it in 1994. It depicts Sayers mid-walk, with her cat next to her. Her sculpture is one of three commemorations of the renowned author in the town of Witham, including a plaque outside her house and a commemorative center for her life and work in the town’s library. Share:This post is also available in: Español Read more...
Elizabeth Gaskells House WWP
Museum

Elizabeth Gaskell’s House

Manchester, England, UK

The Elizabeth Gaskell’s House is a historical museum showcasing the life and literature of the famous writer Elizabeth Gaskell and providing a glimpse into the Victorian lifestyle. Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell (1810-1865) was born in London. Not long after, her mother died, and she spent much of her childhood with her aunt in Knutsford, Cheshire, the town she later immortalized as the fictional town Cranford. Gaskell received education in arts, the classics, and decorum and was encouraged by her aunt to read and develop her natural gift of writing. In 1832, at 22, she married Unitarian minister William Gaskell, and the couple settled in Manchester. At the time, the city was at the center of industrialization, political changes, and radical activities, which influenced Gaskell’s writings. In 1837, she published her first work, a cycle of poems she co-authored with her husband, titled Sketches among the Poor. In 1845, following the death of her infant son, she began writing her first novel, Mary Barton, published in 1848. She soon became a successful author, known mainly for her ghost stories. Two years later, Gaskell and her family moved to 84 Plymouth Grove, where she lived until she passed away. In this house, she gathered a social circle that included notable people such as Charles Dickens, Charlotte Bronte, Charles Darwin, and Florence Nightingale. Here, Gaskell wrote most of her famous works, including Cranford, Ruth, North and South, and the biography of Charlotte Bronte. Throughout her life, she published 8 novels, 8 novellas, 5 biographies and non-fiction, 2 poetry collections, and dozens of short stories. The Gaskell Society restored the 19th-century house and opened it as a museum on October 5th, 2014. A visit to the house will introduce you to the world of Gaskell and her family through the Victorian-style garden and historic period rooms such as the Study, the Drawing Room, the Tea Room, the Dining Room, the Servants’ Hall, and her Bedroom. Several objects of Gaskell’s belonging are on display, including miniatures, her wedding veil, and Paisley shawls. Though only some of the furnishings are original to the house, all of them are from that ear. In addition, Elizabeth Gaskell’s House organizes online talks, Summer Fun activities in the garden, and Second-hand book sales. Close by Elizabeth Gaskell’s House are Pankhurst Centre, the Whitworth Museum, the Victoria Baths, the Manchester Museum, and the Monastery Manchester. Share:This post is also available in: Español Read more...
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