Greenway

Greenway is a Georgian estate beside the River Dart, two miles from Galmpton in Devon. The house stands on the eastern bank facing Dittisham across the tidal water, three miles north of Dartmouth. It was once the home of Agatha Christie and is now owned by the National Trust. The estate includes 36 acres of gardens and parkland that slope down to the river. A slipway from the Tudor period can still be seen at low tide. The house has been shaped by generations of owners. Sir Humphrey Gilbert, born at Greenway in the 16th century, claimed Newfoundland for Elizabeth I. Later, the Elton family commissioned Humphry Repton to redesign the gardens. Agatha Christie bought the house in 1938 because she loved its uninterrupted view of the Dart. Her novels drew on the estate, with Churston’s railway station appearing in The A.B.C. Murders. The National Trust opened the house and gardens to the public in 2000. Visitors walk through a tall stuccoed house built around 1780. The rooms include a dining room and drawing room added by James Elton in the 19th century. Outside, the riverside gardens contain plants from the southern hemisphere, and a battery overlooks the Dart. The Barn Gallery displays work by local artists. Paths wind through woods and past the restored stables and lodge house. The view across the water to Dittisham completes the visit.