SCOTLAND IN SUSPENSE: ARDGOWAN HOUSE/ORDEAL BY INNOCENCE

No public holiday period would be complete without an Agatha Christie adaptation on the telly, and this past Easter we were treated to an adaptation of Christie’s Ordeal By Innocence, a star-studded murder mystery based around the murder of the Argyll family’s matriarch Rachel, played by Anna Chancellor.  Rachel’s adopted son Jack is arrested for the murder, wrongly as it turns out, and as is usual in such murder mysteries, during the course of the 3-part series we discover that pretty much most of those close to Rachel had a reason to be tempted to do her in, and we do not finally find out who dunnit until the end of the final episode.

The main focus of the action is a grand Scottish family home belonging to the Shaw-Stewart family, which in real life is Ardgowan House near Inverkip in Inverclyde, in the historic county of Renfrewshire.  The house is part of the Ardgowan Castle, House and Gardens, forming the Ardgowan Estate, which styles itself on its website as Scotland’s leading film location.  The estate is also used for weddings and there is a distillery on site. 

From humble beginnings as a solitary watchtower, the estate has evolved over the years via the building of the house in 1797 to its present-day role as a ‘pleasure dome’ for its visitors.  However, things have not always been so calm.  The estate and surrounding area has had an eventful history, ranging from a siege of the castle by Robert the Bruce during the 2nd Battle of Inverkip in 1314 and the founding of the Stewart Dynasty the following year, to the Inverkip Witch Hunts in the 1630s, and the use of the house as a hospital during the two World Wars, making it a target for German bombs.  A more detailed history can be found on the estate’s website.

Ardgowan offers a range of tours and courses and there is accommodation on site.  In addition to which, since the showing of Ordeal by Innocence, the estate has begun hosting Murder Mystery evenings and weekends.

Map of the area.

Ardgowan House - geograph - 5672498. Photo by Thomas Nugent, via Wikimedia Commons.

WHEN IS GUERNSEY NOT GUERNSEY? THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL SOCIETY

A seemingly inoffensive little film about post-war Guernsey and a writer who takes an interest in what it was like during the occupation has become the unlikely focus of a spat between the island and a Devon aristocrat.  The trouble has arisen because the island of Guernsey is gleefully cashing in on the film, which has enraged the owner of Hartland Abbey in North Devon, where much of the filming took place.  Some scenes were also shot in nearby Clovelly, a picturesque village famous for its steep main street leading down to a pretty harbour.  The corner of North Devon featured in the film is missing out on its share of the publicity, hence the outrage.

So let’s take a look at the actual locations used in the film.  Hartland Abbey is a former monastery dating from the 12^th century, and it sits in beautiful grounds including glorious gardens.  The present-day building bears no resemblance to the original monastery, the remains of which can be seen in the basement.  As well as the Abbey itself, there are wonderful grounds to explore.  This time of year is particularly good being bluebell time, as the woodland walk going down towards the sea is redolent with bluebells.  Earlier in the year the Abbey holds a ‘Daffodil Day’ to celebrate the appearance of the yellow lovelies.

Hartland Abbey - panoramio - PLMarriott. Photo by PJMarriott, via Wikimedia Commons

Clovelly is a privately owned village, which unfortunately means having to pay an entrance fee to go in.  However, the fee does include parking, and it would be a shame to miss out on this delightful place when visiting the area.  On the way down you pass the Donkey Stables, donkeys being a longstanding feature of the village, having been used in the past to transport fish from the harbour.  The writer Charles Kingsley, author of The Water Babies, used to live in the village, and there is a museum dedicated to him.  For refreshment there are a couple of pubs and some tea rooms, or at the top next to the entrance area there is a cafe with wonderful views along the North Devon coast.

Clovelly harbour (0942). Photo by Nilfanion, via Wikimedia Commons

Other North Devon locations which feature in the film include the nearby town of Bideford and Saunton Sands, which was used for a scene in which a Dakota aircraft comes in to land.

Map of Hartland Abbey.

Map of Clovelly.