At the age of 13, Christie nearly drowned in the beautiful Torquay countryside while trying to help a nephew and had to be rescued by a passing boatman.
The pebble beach was a favorite of the best-selling author and, in Christie’s time, it was Ladies Bathing Cove.
It remained popular until an ugly walled walkway was built in the 80s.
But soon after, the area lost its misuse and became an after-hours party area, a far cry from its idyllic heyday when it was a popular and busy bathing spot.
In recent years, activists used the power of the people to reclaim the beach.
Graham Stephenson and Jim Cairns previously raised money to shut it down for the night and make it a safe space again.
But now developers at the Hertfordshire-based Hemel Hempstead Property Company have gotten the go-ahead for the modern block of cottages on privately owned land halfway up the cliff.
They say that they would be used only as vacation homes and that any user could only stay a maximum of 12 weeks a year. They would be available all year round.
The news has sparked a backlash online.
One person said, “First of all, are you telling me that there are not enough places for people to stay in the area?
“Or is this for a few wealthy people to buy a prime location by the sea?
“If you see the chaos that boats and jet skis have caused in Babbacombe Bay over the years, this cove will remain the same.
“Is it really worth five new builds? I don’t think so. Leave the cove alone …”
Another person commented, “I am strongly opposed.
“It will impact the local environment and the littered sea and strongly oppose overnight accommodation, as soon as the Hilton and Premier Inn open locally, it is a very small cove.
“If the old Living Coast land was developed, naturally the cove will be used more. Does the City Council guarantee 24-hour access or will it become a privileged one?”
A third said, “Why, oh why are you contemplating another disruption in a small cove and the disastrous construction processes that it will entail?
“Do not allow this building and the destruction of this peaceful area.
“There are enough buildings crammed all over the place, just for a few to make ‘a lot of money.’
“Protect the cove from exploitation for God’s sake.”
Neil Garrick-Maidment, Founder of the Seahorse Trust, said: “As a Torbay native and a long-standing Torbay family, I find it frustrating that the site is already restricted and the idea of new restrictions would be unacceptable.
“I note that the builders of the proposed development are not from the area and therefore cannot be aware of the sensitivities of this site and its history.
“With this lack of knowledge, they would not be aware of its conservation, geological and even social history.”
And Stephenson, the man behind the campaign to take back the beach, has written an irate letter to Torbay City Council leaders disagreeing with the proposal.
He expressed anger at how his “hard work” with the council to bring the cove “back to life” was in danger of being in vain.
Describing Agatha Christie’s childhood memories of Beacon Cove, an official website dedicated to her memory says: “Agatha enjoyed bathing in the sea and regularly swam at Beacon Cove, Meadfoot Beach and Elberry Cove.
“She recalls in her autobiography one afternoon in Beacon Cove when she was swimming to the raft with her nephew Jack on her shoulders.
“He found himself fighting in the surf and they both had to be rescued by the old ‘curmudgeon’ manning the changing cabins.”
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Source: www.yorkshirepost.co.uk
This notice was published: 2021-08-15 13:31:58
