Blue Plaque to honour Agatha Christie at Torquay childhood church

A blue plaque celebrating the life of Agatha Christie will be unveiled this weekend at the Torquay church where the world’s best-selling novelist was baptised.

The plaque will be revealed at All Saints Church in Torre on Sunday 14 September, following the morning service, as part of this year’s Agatha Christie Festival.

The Victorian church, designed by John Pearson and built with funds from the Christie family, still houses the marble font where Agatha Mary Clarissa Miller was baptised on 20 November 1890. The family pew remains in place, and the church is fondly remembered in Christie’s autobiography.

Fr Peter March, Vicar of All Saints, said: “It is as intriguing as one of Agatha’s own plot lines to think of her being baptised here and attending worship as a child and a young woman. To imagine how her early life experiences in Torquay formed her into the world-renowned writer that she has become. It’s a great privilege for the Church to have this link and to be able to share it with others.”

Christie’s works often included fictional members of the clergy, from bishops and archdeacons to canons and a dean. The real Dean of Exeter Cathedral, the Very Rev’d Jonathan Greener, will preach at Sunday’s service.

Matt Newbury, Creative Director of the Agatha Christie Festival, said: “We are so fortunate, when sharing the Agatha Christie story, to have venues with a real connection to her and her family, alongside her wonderful autobiography which vividly describes her Torbay upbringing.

“This is especially true of All Saints Church in Torre, where Agatha was baptised and lovingly recalls Sunday visits with her father, Frederick Miller. She paints a touching picture of him, and of the joy she found in worshipping at the church. With this in mind, it is a privilege to host Festival events at All Saints and I’m especially looking forward to unveiling the brand-new Blue Plaque.”

All Saints Church will be open at various times throughout the week, and visitors are invited to explore the place where Agatha Christie worshipped as a child.