St. Mary Mead - Description

Description

Before the Second World War, the village itself was not particularly large. The only road of significance passing through the village was High Street. Here were the well-established purveyances of Mr. Petherick, the solicitor; Mrs. Jamieson, the hairdressers; Mr. Thomas's basket-weavers; The Blue Boar Pub; and Mr. Baker's grocery shop. The little-trafficked railway station, featured in the book The Murder at The Vicarage is also located at the very end of High Street. By the time of the novel 4.50 from Paddington the station appears to have closed as Mrs MacGillycuddy on her way to Miss Marple leaves her train at Milchester.

Then, slightly further up Lansham Road, was the fine Victorian structure of Gossington Hall. Until the 1950s, this was home to the charming Colonel Arthur Bantry and his wife Dolly (Miss Marple's best friends in the village). However, after Colonel Bantry's death, Mrs. Bantry sold the estate, but continued to live on in the grounds in the East Lodge. The Hall was later after one or two changes of ownership purchased by the film star Marina Gregg.

At the other end of Lansham Road, a small lane broke away from the main street. Nestled in this lane were three Queen Anne or Georgian houses, which belonged to three spinsters. The first house belonged to the long-nosed Caroline Weatherby, who died some time before 1960. The second cottage belonged to Amanda Hartnell, a proud, decent woman with a deep voice. She continued to live in the village up to the end of the '60s. The last cottage, Danemead, belonged to Jane Marple, the famous spinster who solved countless cases between 1930 and 1976. The Post Office, and the dressmakers belonging to Mrs. Politt, are located in front of the Lane.

The centre of the village was the Vicarage, the very grand Victorian structure at the end of the Lane. The Vicarage was home to The Reverend Leonard Clement and his pretty young wife, Griselda, until 1957, when Mr Clement died. Mrs. Clement continued to live on at the Vicarage.

Beyond the Vicarage were two more houses. The first was the residence of the village GP, Doctor Haydock. He continued to live on in the village beyond 1960. The other cottage was much larger than Dr. Haydock's. It belonged to Mrs. Martha Price-Ridley, a rich and dictatorial widow, and the most vicious gossip in the town.

There was also a large estate, Old Hall, belonging to the odious local magistrate, Colonel Lucius Protheroe. He was murdered in 1930 in Mr Clement's study in the Vicarage. After the war, the mansion was turned into a block of flats, to the great disapproval of the villagers. The flats housed Mrs Carmichael, a rich and eccentric old lady who was bullied by her maid, the Larkins, two sisters by the name of Skinner, one of whom was a supposed hypochondriac, and a young married couple, and a robbery was later committed by the Skinner sisters.

Finally, just beyond the home of the dreaded Price-Ridley (as she is known by other villagers) was a small stream, leading to the fields of Farmer Giles. However, the Second World War took its toll on the village, and soon after the war Farmer Giles's fields were bought and tarmacked over; and a new housing estate was built upon it. This was referred to as 'The Development' by the villagers who survived the war. It was inhabited by such residents as the irritating Heather Badcock and the helpful Cherry Baker.

St. Mary Mead is modeled on any quintessentially English country village one can visit today.