Exeter is a cathedral city and the county town (capital) of the county of Devon, England. Devon being Agatha Christie's home county, it is not surprising that Exeter is mentioned frequently in her works.
Exeter in the works by Agatha Christie[]
- In the novel The Sittaford Mystery there are multiple references to Exeter:
- Inspector Narracott is based in Exeter and sent to Exhampton to investigate the murder of Captain Trevelyan.
- Exeter St David's - this actual railway station is mentioned multiple times. The Gardners live 3 minutes from there.
- Exeter Queen Street - this other actual railway station is also mentioned.
- Deller's Café - an actual cafe in Christie's time, unfortunately destroyed by bombing in World War 2.[1] Emily Trefusis had tea there with Charles Enderby and were surprised to see Ronald Garfield there with Mrs Gardner.
- The Gardners lived at “the Laurels”, on Waldon Road, Exeter. The road name is likely fictional.
- In the novel Sleeping Murder, Jackie Afflick's coach company (Daffodil Coaches, Devon and Dorset Tours) is located in Exeter.
- In the novel And Then There Were None, General Macarthur had to change trains in Exeter on his way to Soldier Island.
Exeter in the life of Agatha Christie[]
Exeter was one of the favourite cities of Agatha Christie's mother. In An Autobiography, Christie notes that her mother liked cathedral towns and would have preferred to live in a small house near Exeter rather than at Ashfield. In 1905, Agatha's mother dragged her on a quick trip to Exeter to watch a performance of Henry Irving as "Becket" in Tennyson's play of the same name. According to Christie, since that time, the theatre had never stopped to be a part of her life.[2][3]
The University of Exeter awarded Agatha Christie an honorary doctorate in 1961.
References[]
- ↑ Deller's Cafe Exeter
- ↑ Agatha Christie, An Autobiography (London: HarperCollins, 2010), 105, 133, ebook edition.
- ↑ Theatrical roles of Sir Henry Irving