Episode 7: Greenway

Episode 7: Greenway

Author: Agatha Christie Festival October 3, 2024 Duration: 30:25
In this episode we travel to Agatha Christie’s former holiday home at Greenway and explore the beautiful house and gardens, which tumble down to the the River Dart. We chat to Agatha’s grandson Mathew Prichard about memories of his idyllic school holidays at this beautiful property and how he spent his days with his famous grandmother and the rest of the family. We also chat about the decision to donate the house to the National Trust in the year 2000. We are also joined by ‘Agathologist’ and author Dr Mark Aldridge, who also presents the Swinging Christies podcast. His latest book is Agatha Christie's Marple: Expert on Wickedness, which was launched at this year’s Agatha Christie Festival.  

The landscape of Devon is more than a scenic backdrop in the works of Agatha Christie; it is a silent character, shaping mysteries and molding the author herself. Agatha Christie in Devon, presented by the Agatha Christie Festival and hosted by Sophie Pierce and Matt Newbury, explores this profound connection. This podcast moves beyond a simple biography to trace how the county’s rugged coastline, its serene riverbanks, and its atmospheric moors seeped into Christie’s imagination. You’ll hear how her childhood and young adulthood in Torquay formed her, and why she returned to create Greenway, her beloved holiday home on the River Dart. The unique texture of this series comes from its recordings made on location, capturing the ambient sounds of the very places that defined her world-from the lonely tors of Dartmoor to the art deco isolation of Burgh Island and the wooded estate of Ugbrooke. Each episode immerses you in these environments, drawing direct lines between the geography and her fiction, revealing how specific settings influenced iconic characters and plots. It’s an auditory journey for anyone curious about the roots of creativity, offering a deeper appreciation for how a sense of place can become inextricably woven into a body of work. Listen for the stories of her life interwoven with the atmosphere of Devon itself, discovering why this corner of England remained her enduring refuge and a constant muse throughout her legendary career.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 11

Agatha Christie in Devon
Podcast Episodes
Episode 11: Christmas Special [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:28
In this bonus seasonal episode, Matt and Sophie visit Agatha’s former holiday home at Greenway, to see what the National Trust have put on for Christmas. As well as exploring the house, they chat to volunteer pianist Sim…
Episode 10: Legacy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:20
In the final episode of the season, Sophie and Matt look at the remarkable legacy that Christie left for the people of Torquay and the surrounding area. Through visiting real places in her life, or by being inspired by t…
Episode 9: Festival [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:50
We visit the Agatha Christie Festival that took place in Torquay and the surrounding area in September 2024 and try and give a feel of the atmosphere for both those who were there, or those who would one day like to atte…
Episode 8: Islands [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:00
In this episode we visit the enigmatic and evocative Burgh Island, where Agatha Christie was inspired to write two of her most famous novels, And Then There Were None and Evil Under the Sun. Sophie and Matt take the quir…
Episode 6: Trains [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:45
This episode celebrates Agatha Christie’s love of trains and was recorded on location aboard the Dartmouth Steam Railway. This was a route taken by Poirot in two of Christie’s novels and by the author herself when visiti…
Episode 5: Dartmoor [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:07
This episode takes listeners on journey into the rugged heart of Dartmoor, an untamed national park that has inspired both Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie. Matt and Sophie visit the hotel where Christie wrote her…
Episode 4: War [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:38
In our latest episode we look at Agatha’s life in Torquay during World War 1. We visit where she worked in the Voluntary Aid Detachment as a nurse and find out how her early knowledge of poisons was formed. Special guest…
Episode 3: Love [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:36
Episode #3 of the Agatha Christie in Devon podcast has just dropped and it’s all about young love. We find out how Agatha came out as a young debutant and after several proposals of marriage went on to meet her first hus…
Episode 2: Girlhood [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:12
We discover what life was like for young Agatha living in England’s most fashionable seaside resort and the activities she loved growing up. Special guests include Val McDermid, Graham Kerr, Victoria Dowd and Robin Emdon…
Episode 1: Childhood [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:23
We explore Agatha’s early life in Torquay living with her parents and siblings and visit some of the places she would have known very well as a young girl. Special guests include Hilary Macaskill, Rachel Trethewey, Fathe…