Two Devonshire Gardens

'Step into the spirit of the Jazz Age'

Coleton Fishacre, Devon was the country home of the D'Oyly Carte family - an Arts and Crafts house built in the mid 1920s with elegant Art Deco interiors. 

One day Rupert and Lady Dorothy D'Oyly Carte were sailing along the Devonshire coastline when they spotted a beautiful secluded valley, and decided there and then that this was where they would build themselves a country home.

A luxuriant 30 acre garden now fills the valley which runs down to the edge of the sea. The humidity in the garden is high thanks to both the sea and a stream which meanders through the valley; tender plants from the Mediterranean, South Africa and New Zealand thrive under it's canopy of exotic trees, and when visited in March, Spring was already well advanced compared to the rest of the country.  

The architect for the house and the terraced areas was Oswald Milne, a student of Sir Edwin Lutyens.

"The loveliest place in the world"
Just a few miles away from the D'Oyly Carte country home is 'Greenway', the much beloved holiday home of the writer, Agatha Christie.
"One day we saw that a house was up for sale that I had known when I was young....So we went over to see Greenway, how beautiful the house and grounds were. A white Georgian house of about 1780 or 90, with woods sweeping down to the River Dart below, and a lot of fine shrubs and trees - the ideal house, a dream house".

This is just a glimpse at the holiday home where the famous author, her family, and many invited guests would spend their summers and Christmases. 

Guests could explore the many secret pathways within the extensive grounds, wander down to the Boathouse at the edge of the Dart and go sailing. Lawn croquet and clock golf were also popular pastimes. 

via National Trust
In the evenings guests were often to be found sitting around together, whilst Agatha held them enthralled, as she read to them the latest chapter from her current mystery novel.