Step into 1920’s Torquay as Agatha Christie saw it

A new immersive way to experience the rich cultural heritage of the Bay launches today on the opening day of the Agatha Christie Literary Festival.

Everyone – residents and visitors to Torquay alike - is invited to take up the challenge: walk the well-known ‘Agatha Christie Mile’ following a route along Torquay’s seafront from Torquay rail station to Beacon Cove. Enter, as you go, the world of 1920’s Torquay just as Agatha would have known it; an era when the fortunes of Torbay were transformed by the arrival of train travel. All you need is the phone in your hand to unlock a wealth of historic photography, including rare and unseen before images from Agatha Christie’s own personal collection, alongside film clips which reveal the fun she had, walking, skating and swimming along the same route marked by fine buildings, parks and coves.

Simply come down to the seafront at Torquay at any time, bring your iPhone, Android Phone or any other device with internet access with you, enter agathachristiemile.co.uk in your device’s browser and follow the route which has fourteen locations which you can start from any point. You will need to be on the spot, within 50 yards of each location to access the full content of the app. You can send e-‘postcard’ selfies from each location and you are encouraged to share your experience on social media #AgathaChristieMile. Agatha Christie Festival, in partnership with Bigwave Marketing and supported by a generous grant from Great Western Railway’s (GWR) Customer and Community Improvement Fund, today launches a free to use web app called ‘The Agatha Christie Mile & The Riviera Line’. The Festival acknowledges with thanks the support of Agatha Christie Limited and The Christie Archive Trust which has kindly supplied royalty-free images and excerpts from Agatha Christie’s work.

Matt Newbury, Creative Director of Agatha Christie Festival, said ‘Thanks to our licensor, Agatha Christie Limited, GWR’s sponsorship of the project and our partnership with local innovators, Bigwave Marketing, we’ve been able to bring Agatha Christie’s energetic youth in Torquay to digital life. We are indebted to Torquay Museum, Torquay Library and The Christie Archive Trust for access to a wealth of imagery. This is just the first phase of the app and we will be adding more content to it over the coming months.’

Simon Beer, Director of Bigwave Marketing, said “We are delighted to be supporting the Festival with the Agatha Christie Mile & Riviera Line project. With extensive experience across leisure and culture, the project was a natural fit for us, combining physical activity with a cultural experience. As a B Corp-certified agency, we have committed to providing 1,000 hours of free support to community-focused organisations and charities throughout 2026, and this project has been a fantastic way to contribute to that commitment”.

GWR Senior Partnerships Marketing Manager, Helen Scholes,said:

“Great Western Railway’s Customer and Community Improvement Fund allows us to invest in local projects that have a positive and meaningful impact to our customers and communities across our network. The Festival’s Agatha Christie Mile app is a perfect example of just that.

“Agatha was a renowned lover of the railway, with railway stations and train travel often at the heart of some of her best loved works.”

“We are proud to support the International Agatha Christie Festival with funding for this exciting, immersive experience which will give our customers a unique way to explore Devon and celebrate the history of one our most iconic Great Westerners.”