Sometimes it's good to get away from the keyboard for some inspiration and that's exactly what I did this week. Wandering around the locations I use for settings in my Esme Quentin mysteries, on the North Devon coast, is always a treat and out of season you get the place to yourself, too!
In The Indelible Stain, Esme comes to find the genealogist, Morris Beveridge, in the unique village of Clovelly. She wants to ask him about some research he's done on a family which is key to her investigation. She wanders down the cobbled streets, searching for him.
Esme eventually spies him from The Look Out (picture on the left is taken from the very spot), where he's talking to a group of tourists down on the harbour, about the history of Clovelly village.
The Look Out is half way down Clovelly's main street where you can sit on a bench and gaze down at The Red Lion pub and the quay, below.
The quay and harbour were recently used as a film setting for The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. (You'll catch a shot of Clovelly in the film's trailer which you can view by clicking the link.)
In The Malice of Angels (and in the book I'm currently writing), Esme is living in a cottage inspired by the one in this photograph. It's another well used film location, appearing in a BBC production of Sense and Sensibility and, more recently, The Night Manager.
You can read more about the area as a film location on Hartland Abbey's website, which includes news of the filming of Enid Blyton's Malory Towers, to be screened on CBBC shortly, as well as the Netflix adaptation of Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca, also due out sometime this coming spring.
While I was out and about, I took the opportunity to visit a place which will appear in the new book. So I shall leave you with a little taster, by way of a couple of photographs of the location. I wonder if those of you familiar with the area will recognise it?
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It's Bucks Mills! Excited to see how it will fit in.
Aw, go on then, Janet! You’re allowed... 😂
I know where the mystery location is - am I allowed to say :)
Lovely to hear from another Clovelly fan, Caroline! It’s a place I’ve been very fond of since I first went as a child. My mum especially loved it. She and Dad visited on their way to Cornwall on their honeymoon. Thanks for the words of encouragement on the novel writing! It’s all on target. And it’s always good to know readers are eagerly waiting. Keeps me on track! Coincidentally, there’s a scene in it set in a village on the edge of Exmoor... I wonder if you’ll recognise it when you read it? 😂
You’re right, Helen. It‘s extremely popular and gets pretty busy in holiday periods. Not surprising, though. Clovelly in particular, is very special place!