"Murder" she cried, "Murder at Boringdon Hall!"

Added 2 yearss ago

“September marks the end of summer, what excitement could possibly happen in September?  “Murder” she cried, “Murder at Boringdon Hall!”

'And now, Dr Pender, what are you going to tell us?'

The old clergyman smiled gently.

'My life has been passed in quiet places,' he said. 'Very few eventful happenings have come my way. Yet once, when I was a young man, I had one very strange and tragic experience.'

'Ah!' said Joyce Lemprière encouragingly.

'I have never forgotten it,' continued the clergyman. 'It made a profound impression on me at the time, and to this day by a slight effort of memory I can feel again the awe and horror of that terrible moment when I saw a man stricken to death by apparently no mortal agency.'

'You make me feel quite creepy, Pender,' complained Sir Henry.

'It made me feel creepy, as you call it,' replied the other. 'Since then I have never laughed at the people who use the word atmosphere. There is such a thing. There are certain places imbued and saturated with good or evil influences which can make their power felt.'

Thus wrote Agatha Christie in the Dartmoor based murder mystery novel  “The Idol House of Astarte”.

Welcome to Boringdon Hall. Perched on the edge of mist shrouded Dartmoor, The Hall has opened its groaning history to accommodate those looking for a little more than just an average evening’s entertainment this autumn.

Murder mystery breaks become something more than mere theatrics when you enter the portals of this ancient period building. Stepping through the grounds twinkling with hoare frost in evening dress, your participation in a Plymouth based murder mystery event begins in the magnificent Great Hall, not just a hall, but THE HALL that hosted illustrious figures such as Elizabeth I, Walter Raleigh and Sir Francis Drake in the 16^th century.

Where better to assemble, than before the great fireplace before the coat of arms of James I? What better way to begin an evening of murder and mystery than to be served drinks and absorb the ambience of this most historical of Dartmoor Halls whilst you wait for the drama to unfold.

Murder mystery weekends have become an incredibly popular source of evening entertainment for those discerning enough to want just a little more than dinner in gracious surroundings but as any good theatre company knows, the scene must be set in order for the audience to become absorbed and captivated by the murder mystery unfolding.

Ambience is everything and just as no murder mystery by Agatha Christie would ever begin without a location steeped in history, a cast of properly attired ladies and gentlemen and a sumptuous feast over which the story begins, so with Boringdon Hall a murder mystery opens to become something that you are living, eating and breathing, an experience that you will be swept into, just like the pages of a deliciously good book.

September is a perfect time to indulge in a little Murder Mystery adventure; the shadows are lengthening in Dartmoor, the evenings are crisp and evening dress is rich, complimenting the brocades and tapestries that Boringdon Hall houses. Though there is everything theatrical about a Murder Mystery Break, within Boringdon it is easy for the lines between history and present day to blur and for a guest to become enthralled by the magic as the actors and actresses play their parts over a three course, a la carte, feast for the senses.

Guests are encouraged to join in guessing who dunnit, clues are cleverly provided and the story will unfold towards the guilty party being exposed over coffee and tea.  But, there is no pressure and if you prefer to simply relax and be entertained by the professionals providing the theatricals and watch the other guests and your companions guessing wildly, then that is fine as well.  A murder mystery at Boringdon Hall is simply a diverting form of entertainment for guests who enjoy a little extra sparkle in their Autumnal social calendar.

Having attended an evening Murder mystery, if you choose to remain within Boringdon Hall as a welcome guest overnight, then there is of course an accommodation option that may be taken as an inexpensive add on. Our overnight guests will be treated to a traditionally hearty English breakfast as well.  Bed and Breakfast is not something that Boringdon Hall takes lightly, after all the survivors of a horrid murder deserve a breakfast fit for Walter Raleigh to sustain them before they leave Boringdon, Dartmoor and of course,  the scene of the crime.

We look forward to seeing you and hope you will live to tell the tale.