The Miss Underhay Investigates series is set in Torbay, Devon, England in the 1930’s. For anyone unfamiliar with the area, it is a particularly beautiful place with sandy beaches, wide rivers, green farmland and historic and lovely towns and villages. Thatched cottages abound in a chocolate box setting.
The landscape my intrepid amateur sleuth, Kitty Underhay inhabited in 1933 would be familiar to her today despite some damage done by the second world war and over enthusiastic building works in the 1960’s. Punctuating that landscape are five beautiful and unique buildings. All of which feature in, or have inspired scenes in the Miss Underhay series.
The first is the now sadly neglected Pavilion theatre in Torquay. A gorgeous art deco affair it has a starring role in Murder at the Playhouse when it is pictured in all it’s glory. This was a building familiar to Dame Agatha Christie. It hosted operas, plays and performances like the one described in the book. Recently funding has been secured to restore the building and it should once again take it’s place as one of Torquay’s jewels.
The second building is cared for by the National Trust and can be discovered tucked away down a country lane on the way from Torquay to Dartmouth. Coleton Fishacre is a gem of a jazz age country retreat. Once the summer home of the D’Oyly Carte family, set in beautiful gardens that lead to the sea it’s easy to imagine Kitty and her beau, Captain Matthew Bryant strolling in the gardens or taking tea on the terrace. A wonderful cream tea can be enjoyed there by visitors today and the house is one of the loveliest places to visit.
Dartmouth, Kitty Underhay’s home has the wonderful York House. An incredible black and white half-timbered building which is the inspiration for the Dolphin Hotel. It’s easy to picture Kitty and her grandmother running their hotel in such a building. Mrs Treadwell’s salon, with its lead paned window overlooking the bustling Embankment is easy to picture. Dartmouth itself is full of amazing buildings, from the medieval Dartmouth Castle which guards the mouth of the river estuary to the Butter walk, a colonnaded stone walkway housing shops and tea rooms. The Butter walk was damaged during the second world war but has been so well repaired that you wouldn’t be able to tell.
Dartmouth is also home to the fourth in my building’s list, St Saviour’s Church. Listed as one of the best 100 churches in England it was constructed in the middle ages around 1372, and underwent significant restoration in 2014 in order to preserve it for future generations of worshippers and visitors. It has the most magnificent medieval wooden doors, heavily carved with gryphons and supported on huge iron hinges. St Saviours is featured in Murder at The Dolphin Hotel, the first book in the Miss Underhay series. The interior is small and atmospheric, unchanged for centuries. I was fortunate enough to be given a guided tour by the then vicar one, cold, wet January day a few years ago.
Fifth on my list is a building that sums up the spirit of Torbay in the jazz age. A magnificent mansion owned by the local council which is now reemerging from dormancy back to life. Oldway mansion in Paignton was home of the Singer family. The Singer name is known to anyone with an interest in sewing of course. The Oldway mansion was modelled on the Palace of Versaille and the interior is a magnificently pained masterpiece. During the first world war it was a hospital for injured American servicemen and went on to become a country club. Currently closed to the public, a dedicated group of volunteers intend to open a tearoom and give tours of the building as soon as circumstances permit. The beautiful grounds can be enjoyed by anyone and it’s as easy to picture Hercule Poirot himself strolling past the Caryatids in the grounds as it is to see Kitty arm-in-arm with her friend, Alice walking on the terrace.
I hope that you will visit virtually if not in reality to picture the delights of Devon. As well as the five places listed above there is also Greenway House, Dame Agatha Christies own home to visit, or medieval Torre Abbey perhaps by taking the vintage steam train.
Nell Dixon was born and continues to live in the Black Country. Married to the same man for over thirty-five years she has three daughters, a cactus called Spike, a crazy cockapoo and a tank of tropical fish. She is allergic to adhesives, apples, tinsel and housework. Her addictions of choice are coffee and reality TV. She was winner of The Romance Prize in 2007 with her book Marrying Max, and winner of Love Story of the Year 2010 with her book, Animal Instincts. She also writes historical 1930’s set cozy crime as Helena Dixon.
