Elberry Cove, also known as Elbury Cove, is a shingle beach in Churston Ferrers that lies between Brixham and Paignton in Devon. Located near Agatha Christie's holiday estate at Greenway, it is possible that she might have done some swimming here.
The beach also features significantly in her novel The A.B.C. Murders where the beach is spelled "Elbury Cove". The "C" murder takes place here. Hastings described Elbury Cove as "an enchanting spot--white, deep green--and sapphire blue."
To get to the beach from Combeside, the residence of Carmichael Clarke, Poirot and Hastings went "through a garden gate on to the golf links. Crossing a corner of them, we passed over a stile into a steep winding lane."
According to Franklin Clarke, "two years ago they made a new road leading from the main road to Broadsands and on to Elbury, so that now this lane is practically deserted."
As Hastings describes it, "Suddenly we came out on a grassy ridge overlooking the sea and a beach of glistening white stones. All round dark green trees ran down to the sea." The murder took place on the field overlooking the beach.
Part of an Ordnance survey map of the Churston Ferrers area revised in 1938 around the time of the novel. To the left is Churston Station where Poirot and Hastings arrived. Note Elberry Cove at the centre top of the map. Directly to the south, note the "Christ Church" (St Mary the Virgin (Churston Ferrers) and Churston Court (which are not mentioned in the novel). There is a lane leading north of the church that cuts the corner of Churston Golf Links. Beyond, in dotted lines, is a winding path through Marridge Wood leading to Elberry Cove. This is probably the route that Poirot and Hastings took. The "new road" to Broadsands is probably Broadsands road to the upper left of the map.
