Torquay travel guide: 'I followed in the footsteps of Agatha Christie to discover what influenced her novels'

One hundred years ago, on a chilly December day, one of the most famous women in England arrived at the Old Swan Hotel in Harrogate and checked in under a false name.

Dressed in a disguise worthy of one of her novels, the Queen of Crime, Agatha Christie, gave the name “Teresa Neele” and stayed incognito for the next 11 days.

She had left her Berkshire home after an argument with her husband Colonel Archibald Christie, who had recently asked for a divorce after his affair with one Nancy Neele.

Christie, who had just become a household name with her latest book The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, had driven off and abandoned her car near Guildford, in Surrey.

Given her fame, the disappearance caused national hysteria, sparking a 15,000-volunteer search, which saw Colonel Christie arrested.

However, a fellow guest at the Old Swan spotted Christie, ending the ruse. This was something she blamed on amnesia, and never referenced the event in her autobiography.

There are three theories about the disappearance, tour guide Graham Kerr, of English Riviera Walking Tours, explains on a walk around Christie’s hometown of Torquay.

The first is that she actually did have amnesia, the second is that she had a nervous breakdown, while the third, and the one Graham indicates he believes, is that she wanted to punish her husband for his affair.

The two-and-a-half hour walking tour around the English Riviera is perfect for fans of the Queen of Crime like myself, as Graham explains exactly how Torquay inspired Christie’s novels and murders.

Following the Napoleonic wars, the English upper class could no longer holiday in France and so turned to the South West.

This provided Christie with a wealth of potential characters, and she and her friends would walk down the pier, people watching and eavesdropping on conversations.

Graham explains how the tidal Burgh Island was the setting of the biggest-selling crime novel of all time, And Then There Were None, and Miss Marple’s home of St Mary Mead is based on the picturesque nearby village of Cockington.

Christie worked as a pharmacist during the two world wars, and this gave her in-depth knowledge of the kind of poisons her characters would use.

A moustached Belgian gendarme Jacques Joseph Hamoir, evacuated to the town during the First World War, is thought to be the inspiration for the Hercule Poirot.

This tour is included in a special Agatha Christie-themed package from the Cary Arms and Spa, a stunning high-end hotel overlooking beautiful Babbacombe Bay.

With a two-night stay from £135 per person per night, guests can enjoy the walking tour, a Devon cream tea (clotted cream on the scone first of course) and a three-course 1920s-themed dinner at the hotel’s restaurant.

The Cary Arms is old-fashioned in the most wonderful way, with your sheets turned up before bed and newspapers delivered to your room in the morning.

The atmospheric hotel, known as the “Inn on the Beach”, would be the perfect setting for an Agatha Christie murder, and I feel certain that torchlights flashing around the quay are police and not the local fishermen.

If you can afford to stay in one of the beach huts, in my opinion it’s well worth it as you wake up with the most stunning views across Babbacombe Bay.

The red sandstone cliffs, typical of the South Hams coast, shimmer on the far side of the bay, and the waves lap onto the shore.

If visiting, make sure you book in for a treatment at the Cary Arms’ spa, and definitely enjoy the pool, steam room and sauna, which are all, of course, overlooking the bay.

This was the perfect place to lie back, relax and lose myself in the Poirot classic, Dead Man’s Folly, which is included in the special hotel package.

This was set at Christie’s holiday home Greenway, a grand Victorian house set in the woods above the River Dart.

The Cary Arms can arrange a visit to the National Trust property, which costs £18 for adults, £9 for children and £45 for a family of five.

Christie described it as the “loveliest place in the world”, and the house and grounds are a wonderful place to spend several hours on a sunny afternoon.

It holds 12,000 items and books of the Queen of Crime, and the sitting room also has a mural from the US soldiers that were stationed there during the Second World War ahead of D Day.

Head down the hill to the boathouse and you’ll find the scene of the murder in Dead Man’s Folly.

It’s a beautiful spot to look out along the Dart, and alongside its place in Christie’s novel has a fascinating military history.

An older boathouse in the 16th century was used to bring ashore 166 Spanish prisoners of war captured by Sir Francis Drake from the Spanish Armada.

Then in 1944, the Americans practised landings ahead of D Day. If you’re looking for another day trip from the Cary Arms then try Totnes that can easily be reached by train or car.

The narrow streets are filled to the brim with independent shops, and for a while the town even had its own currency, the Totnes Pound, to try and encourage local shopping.

The Bull Inn is a brilliant gastropub at the top of the high street, which serves sustainable British food from the local area.

Highlights included the crispy cauliflower with a tahini and sesame sauce, and buttery leeks cooked with smoked onion.

If you’re looking for spectacular views, rich history or stunning local food then Torquay and the Devon Coast is a great place to visit.

Ralph was a guest of the Cary Arms as part of the hotel’s Agatha Christie experience offer. Get more information on the deal here.