“It is peaceful. The sun shines. The sea is blue. But you forget, Miss Brewster, there is evil everywhere under the sun.” So begins one of Agatha Christie's best mysteries, Evil Under the Sun, set on a charming island connected by a causeway to the sunny Devon coast, where Hercule Poirot is holidaying. Burgh Island, a favourite holiday destination of the author, was the real-life setting for the mystery, as it was for one of Christie's other famous mysteries, the superbly unsettling And Then There Were None, where visitors to an island are picked off one by one by a mysterious killer. From May 2023, Up until September 2024, there's a rare chance to snap up an unparalleled piece of Christie memorabilia as the island itself was for sale for £15m, according to The Times. Now, it's been withdrawn after securing £5.4m in refinancing and additional funding from Metro Bank.
The refinancing agreed with Metro Bank would "accelerate the improvements" and "continue the journey to make it fit for the next 100 years", owner Giles Fuchs told the BBC.
The island is 21 acres in size, and comes with the beach house built for Christie as a writer's retreat, a pub called The Pilchard Inn, and the jewel in its crown, the Burgh Island Hotel. The Art Deco hotel was a fashionable destination in Christie's heyday, and has recently undergone a spectacular renovation that makes the most of its palm court, cocktail bar and 25 bedrooms. Many original Art Deco features are still in place or have been restored, so you can truly get the sense of what it would have been like to stay there in the 1920s and 1930s. Two restaurants, one with fine dining options, the other more casual, can be found at the hotel, while a saltwater pool, spa, tennis court, and a helipad complete the picture. The hotel has had many famous visitors, from the Duke and Duchess of Windsor to the Beatles.
At high tide, the island is cut off from the mainland, and visitors have to cross the shallow waters in a sea tractor, while at low tide, the sand is exposed and tourists can cross on foot. The beach is one of Devon's loveliest, and the village of Bigbury-on-Sea on the mainland is a delightful destination in its own right. The island is criss-crossed with footpaths, making it a great place for a day trip, and the island is currently also available to hire in its entirety. The island was set to be sold as a commercial opportunity, with the price tag of £15m feeling fairly reasonable for a luxury hotel and its associated properties.
Find out more about the listing here.
