History of Greenway

Expert curated

Aerial view of Greenway, Devon, the garden and woodland drifts down the hillside towards the Dart estuary. — Aerial view of Greenway, Devon | © National Trust Images/James Dobson

Greenway in Devon is connected to some of the most recognisable names in British history and cultural life. Sir Humphrey Gilbert, Sir Walter Raleigh, Dame Agatha Christie and Sir Max Mallowan are amongst the nationally important figures who are part of the history of this house.

An important location

With natural harbours and high hills, the River Dart has long been a highway for trade and travel, offering safe harbour to merchant ships, fishing boats and mariners. The crossing point between Dittisham and Greenway has been used for over a thousand years.

In 1493 Otho Gilbert (c.1418–93) owner of nearby Compton Castle, was recorded as holding rights to land and to the ferry at ‘Greynway’ His grandson Otho Gilbert (1513–47) and his wife Katherine Champerknowne (1519–94) are believed to have built the first Manor House around 1530, probably southwest of the current building.

Seafarers and colonists

The Gilberts were a well-known Devon seafaring family, their ships likely to have been moored on the River Dart within view from their house. Although undocumented, it is thought that the navigator, politician and colonist Sir Humphrey Gilbert (1537–83), son of Katherine and Otho, was born at Greenway.

Humphrey had been in the household of (in service to) Queen Elizabeth I before her accession to the throne. He was a member of parliament, an intellectual and writer. He is also remembered as a mariner, for his military campaigns to suppress rebellion in Ireland, his early role in the English colonisation of North America, and the search for a sea passage to China, north of the continent, known as the Northwest Passage.

In 1578 Humphrey received Letters Patent from Queen Elizabeth I. This provided six years of permission to search for, and occupy, lands that were not in possession of a ‘Christian prince or people’. He used his Letters to attract investors supporting five ships which left Plymouth in1583 for North America with 260 colonists, including masons, carpenters and blacksmiths. On arrival in Newfoundland, a region that European fishing vessels had frequented for nearly a century, the fleet encountered 36 ships of differing nationalities as well as pre-existing Indigenous populations. Despite this, Humphrey claimed the harbour, surrounding land and fishing stations for the Queen.

Humphrey then set out with three ships on a reconnaissance trip south towards Sable Island. When one ship was lost and many of the crew fell ill, those on the remaining ships insisted on returning home. Humphrey remained optimistic, anticipating royal support for future voyages. However, on 9th September 1583, during a fierce storm around the Azores, Humphrey’s ship ‘The Squirrel’ was engulfed by the sea and sank, taking all on board.

Although there was little sustained from this expedition, by the 19th century, authors represented Humphrey as a tragic hero, an adventurous figure, and a pioneer of English colonisation.A heavily mythologised version of Humphrey’s death has become attached to the events of that evening.

A brass-studded Baghdad chest in the entrance hall at Greenway, Devon — Baghdad chest in Greenway's entrance hall | © National Trust Images / Andreas von Einsiedel

The ‘West Country Men’

Sir Humphrey Gilbert and his half-brothers Walter and Carew Ralegh (Raleigh) were part of a group known as ‘The West Country Men’. Others included their cousin Richard Grenville, Sir Francis Drake and Sir John Hawkins, all likely to have been visitors to Greenway. They advocated for, and were involved with, the colonisation of North America and military action in Ireland, as well as attacks on ships of the similarly expanding Spanish Empire. Their privateering greatly benefited the crown and also made them wealthy.

They formed a close group, investing and participating, in each other’s voyages. Their activities helped establish networks that moved goods and ultimately migrants, indentured and enslaved peoples between continents from the 16th century onwards. The wealth they acquired led to investment in the buildings, land and seaports of Devon.

View of the Fernery, with abundant planting of a variety of ferns, paths lead around a central fountain and the graves of family dogs can be seen in the foreground — View of the Fernery with the graves of family dogs in the foreground, part of the garden at Greenway, Devon | © National Trust Images/Andrew Butler

A new house and gardens

The Gilberts sold Greenway in about 1680 to Thomas Martyn (d. 1692), a merchant of Totnes. Through him the estate descended to the Cabell and Roope families eventually passing in 1771 to Roope Harris (1747–1821) a merchant and trader, born in Boston, Massachusetts, USA but from a local Devon family. Roope built the house that remains today, but by 1800 was bankrupt. The estate was sold to Edward Elton (1742–1811). He was a cousin of the Elton family at Clevedon Court in Somerset whose wealth was also of merchant origin, based on overseas trade and speculation.

Through the 19th century Greenway saw significant investment in the planting and design of the gardens, notably by Richard (1797–1874) and Susannah (1800–82) Harvey (owners 1852–82). They added the fountain garden and fernery, garden walls, new glasshouses and created the top kitchen garden. It was the Harvey’s who fought a proposal to build a railway across Greenway, compromising with the building of a tunnel to run under the estate, which is still in use today.

Archaeologist and author

In 1938 author Agatha Christie (1890–1976) and archaeologist Max Mallowan (1904–78) purchased Greenway, a house Agatha had known since childhood. It became their holiday home and like the Harvey’s, they immersed themselves in local life. Together they re-introduced a sense of global connection to the house.

They travelled extensively, particularly to Max’s excavations in Syria and Iraq. Earlier in her life Agatha had also accompanied her first husband, Archie Christie, on an ambitious promotional tour to South Africa, Australia, the Pacific Islands and Canada, ahead of the 1924 British Empire Exhibition in London.

Although the couple owned many houses, Greenway is the only remaining with the original collection still in place. It contains over 12,000 items, collections formed by five generations of the family including ceramics, glass, silver, straw work boxes, watches, some of Max’s excavated archaeology, souvenirs and furniture bought while travelling.

A collection of eight stone archaeological sherds. The stone is flat and engraved. — Archaeological sherds at Greenway, Devon | © National Trust Images/Andreas von Einsiedel

War years and beyond

During the Second World War (1939–45) Max served in North Africa in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Agatha worked in London at the pharmacy at University College. Greenway was first used as a nursery for ten young children evacuated from Paddington and later for other evacuees. In 1944–5, it was requisitioned by the United States of America Coastguard, one of whom, Lieutenant Marshall Lee, painted the mural that remains in the library as a record of their voyage to England.

Max and Agatha returned to Greenway after the war. In 1959 the estate was sold to Agatha’s daughter Rosalind (1919–2004), but it was not until 1978 that she and her husband, Anthony Hicks (1916–2005), took up permanent residence. In 2000 they placed the property in the care of the National Trust, the garden opening to the public in the same year.

The house opened in 2009 after a significant project to build a new visitor reception, and to conserve the building and collections, which had been gifted by Agatha’s grandson Mathew Prichard (b.1943). The garden continues to develop and work to buildings including the vinery and peach house, have been recognised as exemplar conservation projects.