After moving to London, I was fortunate enough to join a wonderful book club. I found out that they have an annual book club weekend trip themed around a specific author. Last year, they visited the Peak District in honor of Jane Austen, and this year we headed out to Devon to Agatha Christie’s old stomping grounds.
Here’s everything we did on our book club retreat weekend – it’s a perfect excursion for some literary friends, or would just be a fun as a Devon weekend itinerary. Whoever you go with, this would make a wonderful UK girls’ trip or couples trip in England!
Friday – Travel to Devon + Check into Farmhouse
I headed out with a friend who was driving to Devon – we hopped in the car around 6:45 and were there before 10. Our friends who drove earlier got caught in lots of traffic, so we were really happy it settled down by the time we left! Several people also took the train from London out to Exeter St. David’s station, which was convenient, fast, and easy.
We were the last ones to arrive at the farmhouse, so we got settled into our rooms and changed into jammies before chatting for a while and heading to bed. The home is huge with a number of bedrooms and bathrooms, so it was great for our group. It’s definitely not super modern, and has retained a lot of its charm and character, which we loved. It was plenty spacious, functional, clean, and well-stocked for our group and we had a great stay there.
Saturday Agatha Christie Weekend in Devon
Sauna & River Dip + Brunch
First thing Saturday morning, we headed out to to a pop up sauna next to a river. It was delightful! We alternated between steamy heat and ice cold river dips. It was a beautiful morning and the perfect way to kick off our weekend.
After, we headed back to shower & have brunch at our farmhouse – my friend who organized everything had eggs, toast, and avocados available, and everyone had brought warm drinks to share. (I brought my beloved hot chocolate and my favorite tea of all time – the title on it is weird, but this is the herbal kind, though there is also one with a black tea base if you prefer.)
Several of us also worked on this puzzle through brunch and on-and-off through the day. Perfect for Agatha Christie weekend, and it was really nice to have a centerpiece that people could keep returning to. I highly recommend leaving a puzzle out at a big group gathering!
Greenway House Visit
After brunch, a few of us went on a beautiful walk in the countryside, then we all headed out to Greenway House, Agatha’s holiday home and now a National Trust site. It was a delight! We lucked out with beautiful weather, so we spent a long time wandering the gardens. The autumn colors were stunning, and it was amazing being by the sea.
Since we got there later in the day, we first headed down to the boathouse, which was the site of a murder in one of her books (Dead Man’s Folly). Only a couple of us had read the book, but we still loved seeing the view from there (beautiful!) and hearing a bit about the book and about Agatha from the very enthusiastic volunteer. Such a lovely spot to explore!
After wandering a bit more (the camellia gardens were gorgeous!), we headed into her home. I especially loved seeing childhood portraits, her china collection (which was extensive!), her beautiful Steinway piano (which visitors are invited to play, as long as it’s not Chopsticks), and the collection of first editions of her books. My favorite part was either the library (which was stunning) or her bedroom, where we heard an audio clip of her talking and could also see a number of clothing items that she and her daughter wore.
After spending some time in the outdoor cafe and stopping for some pretty photos of the river on the drive out of the property, we headed back to our farmhouse.
Agatha Christie Murder Mystery Dinner
When we returned home, we all got dinner going. My friend, the planner extraordinaire, had brought frozen lasagna, and other friends added in garlic bread and a delicious harvest salad. I made an apple crumble cake in advance and brought it along, which we had with whipped cream. It was a great dinner that was quick to assemble for our big group.
Before the weekend, my planner friend had put together an original murder mystery and sent out assignments to each person for the murder mystery dinner. Each person had a role (I was The Writer), and we were invited to dress in character and discuss, ask questions, etc. She’d also assigned in advance someone to be murdered (which happened during dinner), as well as a murderer.
We finished up dinner and headed into the giant living room (which was so nice to have for our big group – everyone could comfortably sit and chat) to continue interrogating each person. We found a series of clues that gave us insight into the murderer, and could continue to ask questions. I was strongly suspected, but wasn’t the culprit. 😉 It was so fun – everyone got really into character and it was really nice to have a set activity for everyone to participate in.
Late Night Chats + Guac
Then it was just late night chatting and I made a big batch of my fave guac.
Sunday Agatha Christie Weekend Trip
Walking the Agatha Christie Mile
For our final morning, we all slept in a bit (we were TIRED from the night before), then got up and had breakfast (this morning was eggs & bacon with other sides, plus leftover apple crumble). A few of us packed up our things since we wouldn’t be returning to the farmhouse, then we all drove out to Torquay.
Known as the “English Riviera” (lol), Torquay is a quaint little seaside town where Agatha Christie grew up. We parked at the train station, which had plenty of parking, and then walked the Agatha Christie Mile, which goes by several Agatha landmarks. It was a lovely walk by the marina & sea (beautiful water views!), through the garden, by the Agatha bust, Torre Abbey, and more.
Afternoon Tea at the Grand Hotel
After our walk, we headed to the Grand Hotel, where Agatha honeymooned with her first husband, for afternoon tea. The outside was a bit run down, but the inside was absolutely stunning. Our tables were nestled against the windows with beautiful sea views, and the tea itself was delightful. I had the savory vegetarian tea, which was lovely. Such a fun time!
Train Ride To London
From there, we walked the couple minutes back to the Torquay train station to take a train back to London Paddington. A beautiful ride along the water and through the countryside that was quick and easy (we had a quick change in Newton Abbot).
Overall, we had such a wonderful weekend away – it was so fun to explore with other literary ladies, and to be in beautiful Devon together. Having the book theme centered around Agatha Christie and learning a bit more about her was the icing on top – I highly recommend planning a book club trip of your own!
