Stockport village to celebrate Agatha Christie connection with year-long programe

Residents of Cheadle in Stockport are set to celebrate the connection their village has with Agatha Christie throughout 2026.

Christie’s older sister, ‘Madge’, lived in Cheadle with her husband James Watts from 1902 until her death in 1950 and one of their homes in the village, Abney Hall, is said to be one of the main inspirations for the iconic country house setting that features prominently in Agatha’s work.

Several of Christie’s books are dedicated to Abney Hall or members of her extended family in Cheadle, and it was to Abney Hall that she retreated, escorted by her sister, to recover following her 11-day disappearance in December 1926.

Christie passed away 50 years ago this month, and Cheadle Civic Society say they want to make more people aware of the influence Cheadle had on the novelist’s life and work. The group has worked closely with Agatha Christie Limited, the custodian of the late author’s estate, on detailing the family connection. They say they want to shine a spotlight on Agatha’s sister, Madge, as much as the novelist herself.

Their programme of events will include:

• The unveiling of an Information Board outside Abney Hall by Agatha’s grandson, Mathew Prichard, which will outline the story of her connection to Cheadle and her Watts relations
• An ‘Agatha Christie Book Club’, hosted by local crime-writer and million-selling award-winning author Kate Ellis, which will meet in the Drawing Room at Abney Hall and cover five books with specific connections to Cheadle
• A walking tour around the village, led by the local historian Andrew Frazer and supported by Hydes Brewery, that will highlight the buildings and locations with ties to Christie and her novels
• An ‘In Conversation’ with Martin Edwards, the president of The Detection Club – a crime writers association and a position held by Agatha herself for almost 20 years – and Kate Ellis, who will discuss Agatha’s influence on their work and the genre at large
• Local brewery Hydes has announced that its two village pubs, The James Watts (named after Madge’s husband and his ancestors) and The Crown, will showcase a special guest ale named Who Dunnit on selected dates throughout the year
• Cheadle Library will be hosting two events – a ‘Creative Christie for Kids’ for local children to practice their mystery-solving skills and create their own detective stories; and they will also host a ‘Crime Night’ for adult readers.

All events will be free of charge. Some will have limited availability, and anyone interested in attending is encouraged to follow Cheadle Civic Society on Facebook or X. For more information about the work of Cheadle Civic Society, visit: cheadlecivicsociety.uk.

Phillip Gould-Bourn MBE, chairman of Cheadle Civic Society, said: “Lots of places claim a ‘Christie connection’, but Cheadle’s is a very personal – and influential – one. Madge lived in Cheadle all of her adult life and it’s clear her home was a place of refuge for her sister, in good times and bad. Through the programme of events we’ve put together – all of which are free of charge – we hope to make more people aware of the influence our village had on the life and work of the best-selling novelist of all time.”

Among the Agatha Christie books with special connections to Cheadle are:

• 4.50 from Paddington (Said to be inspired by the layout of the grounds at Abney Hall)
• After the Funeral (A novel that Agatha dedicates to ‘good times at Abney’)
• The Body in the Library (Which Agatha dedicates to ‘Nan’ Watts who was a lifelong friend)
• Hercule Poirot’s Christmas (The plot of which Agatha says was influenced by her brother-in-law, James Watts)
• The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding (In which Agatha gives a detailed dedication to ‘the Christmases of her youth’ at Abney Hall

The Information Board about Agatha Christie that will be unveiled outside Abney Hall will form part of the new Cheadle Community Heritage Trail, launching in the spring, which has been supported by a grant from the Northern Trains Community Project Fund. More information about the Trail will be released in due course.

Featured image credit: The Christie Archive Trust