St. Mary Mead
Encyclopedia
St. Mary Mead was the fictional village created by popular crime fiction
author Dame Agatha Christie
.
The quaint, sleepy village was home to the renowned detective spinster Miss Jane Marple
. The village was first mentioned in a Miss Marple book in 1930, when it was the setting for the first Marple novel, The Murder at the Vicarage
. However, Agatha Christie first described a village of that name prior to the introduction of Jane Marple, in the Hercule Poirot
novel The Mystery of the Blue Train
, in which it was home to that book's protagonist Katherine Grey.
Miss Marple's St. Mary Mead is described in The Murder at the Vicarage as being in the fictional county
of Downshire, but in the later novel The Body in the Library
Downshire has become Radfordshire. The St. Mary Mead of Katherine Grey, however, was in Kent
, therefore not connected with Miss Marple's village.
. It is just outside the town of Much Benham and is close to Market Basing (which appears as a name of a town in many of Agatha Christie's novels and short stories), 12 miles from the fashionable seaside resort of Danemouth, and also 12 miles from the coastal town of Loomouth. Other towns said to be close by include Brackhampton, Medenham Wells, and Milchester. The neighborhood of St. Mary Mead is served by trains arriving at Paddington railway station, indicating a location west of London. It has been suggested that Market Basing is Basingstoke
and Danemouth is Bournemouth
so this would place St. Mary Mead in Hampshire
. In the BBC
Miss Marple television adaptations
the Hampshire village of Nether Wallop
was used as the setting for St. Mary Mead. Brackhampton could be Bracknell
which is just north of Basingstoke
(Market Basing).
the station appears to have closed as Mrs MacGillycuddy on her way to Miss Marple leaves her train at Brackhampton.
Then, slightly further up Lansham Road, was the fine Victorian structure of Gossington Hall. Until the 1950s, this was home to the charming Colonel Arthur Bantry and his wife Dolly (Miss Marple's best friends in the village). However, after Colonel Bantry's death, Mrs. Bantry sold the estate, but continued to live on in the grounds in the East Lodge. The Hall was later after one or two changes of ownership purchased by the film star Marina Gregg.
At the other end of Lansham Road, a small lane broke away from the main street. Nestled in this lane were three Queen Anne or Georgian houses, which belonged to three spinsters. The first house belonged to the long-nosed Caroline Weatherby, who died some time before 1960. The second cottage belonged to Amanda Hartnell, a proud, decent woman with a deep voice. She continued to live in the village up to the end of the '60s. The last cottage, Danemead, belonged to Jane Marple, the famous spinster who solved countless cases between 1930 and 1976. The Post Office, and the dress-makers belonging to Mrs. Politt, are located in front of the Lane.
The centre of the village was the Vicarage, the very grand Victorian structure at the end of the Lane. The Vicarage was home to The Reverend Leonard Clement and his pretty young wife, Griselda, until 1957, when Mr Clement died. Mrs. Clement continued to live on at the Vicarage.
Beyond the Vicarage were two more houses. The first was the residence of the village GP, Doctor Haydock. He continued to live on in the village beyond 1960. The other cottage was much larger than Dr. Haydock's. It belonged to Mrs. Martha Price-Ridley, a rich and dictatorial widow, and the most vicious gossip in the town.
There was also a large estate, Old Hall, belonging to the odious local magistrate, Colonel Lucius Protheroe. He was murdered in 1930 in Mr Clement's study in the Vicarage. After the war, the mansion was turned into a block of flats, to the great disapproval of the villagers. The flats housed Mrs Carmichael, a rich and eccentric old lady who was bullied by her maid, the Larkins, two sisters by the name of Skinner, one of whom was a supposed hypochondriac, and a young married couple, and a robbery was later committed by the Skinner sisters.
Finally, just beyond the home of the dreaded Price-Ridley (as she is known by other villagers) was a small stream, leading to the fields of Farmer Giles. However, the Second World War took its toll on the village, and soon after the war Farmer Giles's fields were bought and tarmacked over; and a new housing estate was built upon it. This was referred to as 'The Development' by the villagers who survived the war. It was inhabited by such residents as the irritating Heather Badcock and the helpful Cherry Baker.
St. Mary Mead is modeled on any quintessentially British country village
one can visit today.
Crime fiction
Crime fiction is the literary genre that fictionalizes crimes, their detection, criminals and their motives. It is usually distinguished from mainstream fiction and other genres such as science fiction or historical fiction, but boundaries can be, and indeed are, blurred...
author Dame Agatha Christie
Agatha Christie
Dame Agatha Christie DBE was a British crime writer of novels, short stories, and plays. She also wrote romances under the name Mary Westmacott, but she is best remembered for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections , and her successful West End plays.According to...
.
The quaint, sleepy village was home to the renowned detective spinster Miss Jane Marple
Miss Marple
Jane Marple, usually referred to as Miss Marple, is a fictional character appearing in twelve of Agatha Christie's crime novels and in twenty short stories. Miss Marple is an elderly spinster who lives in the village of St. Mary Mead and acts as an amateur detective. She is one of the most famous...
. The village was first mentioned in a Miss Marple book in 1930, when it was the setting for the first Marple novel, The Murder at the Vicarage
The Murder at the Vicarage
The Murder at the Vicarage is a work of detective fiction by Agatha Christie and first published in the UK by the Collins Crime Club in October 1930 and in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company later in the same year...
. However, Agatha Christie first described a village of that name prior to the introduction of Jane Marple, in the Hercule Poirot
Hercule Poirot
Hercule Poirot is a fictional Belgian detective created by Agatha Christie. Along with Miss Marple, Poirot is one of Christie's most famous and long-lived characters, appearing in 33 novels and 51 short stories published between 1920 and 1975 and set in the same era.Poirot has been portrayed on...
novel The Mystery of the Blue Train
The Mystery of the Blue Train
The Mystery of the Blue Train is a work of detective fiction by Agatha Christie and first published in the UK by William Collins & Sons on March 29, 1928 and in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company later in the same year. The UK edition retailed at seven shillings and sixpence and the US edition at...
, in which it was home to that book's protagonist Katherine Grey.
Miss Marple's St. Mary Mead is described in The Murder at the Vicarage as being in the fictional county
County
A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain modern nations. Historically in mainland Europe, the original French term, comté, and its equivalents in other languages denoted a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain...
of Downshire, but in the later novel The Body in the Library
The Body in the Library
The Body in the Library is a work of detective fiction by Agatha Christie and first published in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company in February 1942 and in UK by the Collins Crime Club in May of the same year. The US edition retailed at $2.00 and the UK edition at seven shillings and sixpence...
Downshire has become Radfordshire. The St. Mary Mead of Katherine Grey, however, was in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, therefore not connected with Miss Marple's village.
Location
St. Mary Mead is supposed to be in the southeast of England, 25 miles from LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. It is just outside the town of Much Benham and is close to Market Basing (which appears as a name of a town in many of Agatha Christie's novels and short stories), 12 miles from the fashionable seaside resort of Danemouth, and also 12 miles from the coastal town of Loomouth. Other towns said to be close by include Brackhampton, Medenham Wells, and Milchester. The neighborhood of St. Mary Mead is served by trains arriving at Paddington railway station, indicating a location west of London. It has been suggested that Market Basing is Basingstoke
Basingstoke
Basingstoke is a town in northeast Hampshire, in south central England. It lies across a valley at the source of the River Loddon. It is southwest of London, northeast of Southampton, southwest of Reading and northeast of the county town, Winchester. In 2008 it had an estimated population of...
and Danemouth is Bournemouth
Bournemouth
Bournemouth is a large coastal resort town in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. According to the 2001 Census the town has a population of 163,444, making it the largest settlement in Dorset. It is also the largest settlement between Southampton and Plymouth...
so this would place St. Mary Mead in Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
. In the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
Miss Marple television adaptations
Miss Marple (TV series)
Miss Marple is a British television series based on the Miss Marple murder mystery novels by Agatha Christie. It starred Joan Hickson in the title role, and aired from 1984 to 1992. All twelve original Miss Marple Christie novels have been dramatised. The screenplays were written by T. R...
the Hampshire village of Nether Wallop
Nether Wallop
Nether Wallop is a village in central Hampshire, England.It is part of The Wallops: Nether, Middle and Over Wallop. The name derives from 'waella' and 'hop' or 'the valley of springing water'...
was used as the setting for St. Mary Mead. Brackhampton could be Bracknell
Bracknell
Bracknell is a town and civil parish in the Borough of Bracknell Forest in Berkshire, England. It lies to the south-east of Reading, southwest of Windsor and west of central London...
which is just north of Basingstoke
Basingstoke
Basingstoke is a town in northeast Hampshire, in south central England. It lies across a valley at the source of the River Loddon. It is southwest of London, northeast of Southampton, southwest of Reading and northeast of the county town, Winchester. In 2008 it had an estimated population of...
(Market Basing).
Description
Before the Second World War, the village itself was not particularly large. The only road of significance passing through the village was High Street. Here were the well-established purveyances of Mr. Petherick, the solicitor; Mrs. Jamieson, the hairdressers; Mr. Thomas's basket-weavers; The Blue Boar Pub; and Mr. Baker's grocery shop. The little-trafficked railway station, featured in the book The Murder at The Vicarage is also located at the very end of High Street. By the time of the novel 4.50 from Paddington4.50 From Paddington
4.50 from PaddingtonThe article time reads: Four-fifty from Paddington. In the United Kingdom's time notation, hours and minutes may be separated by a dot rather than a colon sign...
the station appears to have closed as Mrs MacGillycuddy on her way to Miss Marple leaves her train at Brackhampton.
Then, slightly further up Lansham Road, was the fine Victorian structure of Gossington Hall. Until the 1950s, this was home to the charming Colonel Arthur Bantry and his wife Dolly (Miss Marple's best friends in the village). However, after Colonel Bantry's death, Mrs. Bantry sold the estate, but continued to live on in the grounds in the East Lodge. The Hall was later after one or two changes of ownership purchased by the film star Marina Gregg.
At the other end of Lansham Road, a small lane broke away from the main street. Nestled in this lane were three Queen Anne or Georgian houses, which belonged to three spinsters. The first house belonged to the long-nosed Caroline Weatherby, who died some time before 1960. The second cottage belonged to Amanda Hartnell, a proud, decent woman with a deep voice. She continued to live in the village up to the end of the '60s. The last cottage, Danemead, belonged to Jane Marple, the famous spinster who solved countless cases between 1930 and 1976. The Post Office, and the dress-makers belonging to Mrs. Politt, are located in front of the Lane.
The centre of the village was the Vicarage, the very grand Victorian structure at the end of the Lane. The Vicarage was home to The Reverend Leonard Clement and his pretty young wife, Griselda, until 1957, when Mr Clement died. Mrs. Clement continued to live on at the Vicarage.
Beyond the Vicarage were two more houses. The first was the residence of the village GP, Doctor Haydock. He continued to live on in the village beyond 1960. The other cottage was much larger than Dr. Haydock's. It belonged to Mrs. Martha Price-Ridley, a rich and dictatorial widow, and the most vicious gossip in the town.
There was also a large estate, Old Hall, belonging to the odious local magistrate, Colonel Lucius Protheroe. He was murdered in 1930 in Mr Clement's study in the Vicarage. After the war, the mansion was turned into a block of flats, to the great disapproval of the villagers. The flats housed Mrs Carmichael, a rich and eccentric old lady who was bullied by her maid, the Larkins, two sisters by the name of Skinner, one of whom was a supposed hypochondriac, and a young married couple, and a robbery was later committed by the Skinner sisters.
Finally, just beyond the home of the dreaded Price-Ridley (as she is known by other villagers) was a small stream, leading to the fields of Farmer Giles. However, the Second World War took its toll on the village, and soon after the war Farmer Giles's fields were bought and tarmacked over; and a new housing estate was built upon it. This was referred to as 'The Development' by the villagers who survived the war. It was inhabited by such residents as the irritating Heather Badcock and the helpful Cherry Baker.
St. Mary Mead is modeled on any quintessentially British country village
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
one can visit today.