Agatha Christe, Steam Trains, and D-Day - Dartmouth

Dartmouth on the River Dart

Dartmouth is a large sheltered harbor with a dramatic narrow entrance and we entered at about 0615. 

At the dock we were greeted by the Town Crier 

 

A proclamation and news of our arrival was read to the Citizens of Dartmouth

After breakfast we traveled by ferry to Greenway House and Gardens. Greenway house is of interest to those who are fans of Agatha Christie as this was her summer home from 1938 to 1976. It was here her family spent summers and the Christmas holidays. The family were collectors and much of their collections are on display, items such as Tunbridgeware, items of archaeologic interest, silver and books. This estate is rather relaxing and is the location for a murder in her book Dead Man’s Folly. The one Agatha Christe Book Lynn did not have, but now she does. Greenway during WWII was the Headquarters for the US Coast Guard where the officers of the D-Day landing craft were housed. There is a nice mural in the library commemorating the action of the Coast Guard in WWII. 

We broke off from our group and caught a shuttle to the local rail station at Churston. After a short wait, a steam train arrived and we were on our way back to Kingswear, which is located just across the river Dart from Dartmouth. Burnell was instrumental in getting this rail line to this particular town. He actually wanted the rail line to terminate in Dartmouth and even went to the trouble of building a rail station there. The line did not make it across the river to Dartmouth, so a lonely rail station, without a track, is now a local quick service takeaway location. This was a fun and interesting way of returning from Greenway. 

We had a quick lunch on the Orion and were soon on a bus to Slapton Sands, the location of Operation Tiger. Operation Tiger was a most unfortunate event in the rehearsal for the Normandy Invasion. 

When we returned to Dartmouth we took some time to walk about town . 

Dartmouth, and Wales in general, are super dog friendly, with water bowls outside most shops, dogs are allowed nearly everywhere, and all the dogs we saw were very well behaved.