There is nowhere in the UK—and perhaps the world—quite like Burgh Island. Sitting just off the coast of South Devon, it’s a place governed entirely by the moon. When the tide is out, you can walk across the golden sands from Bigbury-on-Sea. But when the tide rushes in, the island is severed from the mainland, accessible only by a high-legged, rather magnificent sea tractor. On my recent visit, the tractor was one of my very favourite parts!
As a writer, I find the concept of a locked-room setting irresistible. Once that water rises, your cast of characters is trapped. There is no escape, and more importantly, no one else can get on. It is the ultimate pressure cooker for a mystery.
Stepping into the Golden Age
Burgh Island famously served as the blueprint for two of Agatha Christie’s most celebrated works: And Then There Were None and Evil Under the Sun. Standing on the island today, it isn’t hard to see why.
The hotel is a gleaming white Art Deco jewel, looking as though it has been plucked straight from the 1920s or 30s. The interiors are a masterclass in jazz-age sophistication—original Crittall windows, shimmering chandeliers, and a peacock-blue cocktail bar. Walking through the lounge, you half-expect to see Hercule Poirot adjusting his moustache by the fireplace or a glamorous socialite hiding a silver pistol in her evening bag. It’s a place that demands you dress for dinner and keep your wits about you!
The Treachery of the Pilchard Inn
But it isn’t all evening gowns and champagne. On the rugged edge of the island sits the Pilchard Inn, which dates back to the 14th century. Long before the Art Deco hotel was built, this was a den for smugglers and wreckers.
This contrast is what makes the island so Christie-esque. You have the extreme sophistication of the guests on one side of the cliff, and the raw, dangerous history of the sea on the other. The rugged cliffs and the fret (that thick sea mist I mentioned in my post about the Moors!) can swallow the horizon in minutes, turning a beautiful coastal walk into a disorienting trap.
A Writer’s Inspiration
I spent a long time looking out at the “Bantham Swoosh” (the local name for the river mouth) and thinking about the secrets a tidal island could keep. How easy would it be to hide a body in those sea caves, knowing the tide would wash away every trace of a footprint twice a day?
The Parchment Paper Mysteries focus on the idea that history leaves a paper trail, but on Burgh Island, the trail is often washed away by the Atlantic. It’s a wonderful reminder that nature can be the greatest accomplice a criminal could ask for.
Start reading the series with book 1, which has a delightfully Christie-inspired title: And Then There Were Scones.