Scene of the Crime

Ground Floor Plan - click here
First Floor Plan - click here

Victorian and Edwardian serenity on Babbacombe Downs looking towards Babbacombe Bay. You can imagine the revulsion of local and visiting folk in November 1884 of the news that one of the most respected residents of this tranquil bay had been so brutally killed and the sheer horror that the murderer failed to be executed.

Built in 1812 by W. Davey, The Glen was originally called 'Beach House' and until shortly before the Emma Keyse murder it had been known as 'Babbacombe'. The estate stretched from Babbacombe Downs at the top of the cliff all the way to the seafront. The views were extensive - on a clear day you can see as far as Portland Bill, where, ironically, John Lee served most of his 22 year sentence. In 1833 Princess (later Queen) Victoria and the Duchess of Kent paid a visit to Mrs Whitehead (Emma's mother) - this was one several visits to The Glen by the British royal family.

Above: Such beauty - The Glen from an photograph taken in the 1870's.

Built in 1812 by W. Davey, The Glen was originally called 'Beach House' and until shortly before the Emma Keyse murder it had been known as 'Babbacombe'. The estate stretched from Babbacombe Downs at the top of the cliff all the way to the seafront. The views were extensive - on a clear day you can see as far as Portland Bill, where, ironically, John Lee served most of his 22 year sentence. In 1833 Princess (later Queen) Victoria and the Duchess of Kent paid a visit to Mrs Whitehead (Emma's mother) - this was one several visits to The Glen by the British royal family.

Above: After the fires and murder the wreckage of the once grand Glen remains in a sorry state on Babbacombe seafront.

In a eerie Victorian twist to the story of Emma Keyse's home, the elderly Neck sisters, so loyal to Elizabeth Whitehead (Emma's deceased mother), continued to live in the burnt out wreckage for just over a year after the murder. Those 12 months must have been extremely strange indeed. Eliza Neck died in the remains of the building on the 5th December 1885. Her sister, Jane, moved out and lived with friends in nearby Princes Street until her death. The story of the Neck sisters always remind me of Dicken's character, Miss Havisham (here) - the difference being that Havisham was rich, where the Necks were not. The Glen reminds me, of course, as Satis House in 'Great Expectations'!

The executors of Emma Keyse estate attempted to auction The Glen on the 29th of August 1889 but it failed to attract a bid in advance of £2,000. In October 1890 Frederick Way purchased the estate and moved into The Vine which was renamed 'Glen Sannox' (further up the cliff). (A lot of work has recently been undertaken to clear the old gardens of the Glen Sannox. Click here)

The Glen was demolished in 1894. Torquay Borough Council purchased the estate in the 1920's for £7,000 and in 1928 converted the Garden Room into a cafe which was destroyed by fire a week later. A new cafe was opened in 1930. The Vine eventually became a derelict wreck and was demolished in 1960 following decades of indecision.

Above: A rare picture of the remains of The Glen taken by a tourist from a boat in Babbacombe Bay in 1920 (the estate was owned by Torbay Council by 1926).

Above: I really could not resist this charming picture taken the very same day as three delightful ladies enjoy the beauty of Babbacombe Bay and admire the splendid views out towards Exmouth and further to Portland. Behind them are the ruins of The Glen and (visible in this picture) The Cary Arms which features so much in this murder research. But despite the history and 'fame' that Babbacombe attracted as a Victorian murder scene, thousands of tourists flocked to take advantage of the splendour that Babbacombe offered and the intoxicating Devon air. Images: Private collection

Today the site on the seafront is a mix of unattractive concrete buildings and a flattened area used as a council car-park. The once beautiful Victorian bay and scene of one of the most famous events in Victorian history has been completely decimated - the fantastic sea view, of course, stills remains, but nothing else.

An early Victorian view of the former beauty of Babbacombe Bay from the grounds of The Cary Arms looking towards Oddicombe. The Glen can been seen in the centre of the picture.

The tranquillity and loveliness of Babbacombe Bay. Looking towards The Glen and The Cary Arms from Oddicombe. The Glen can been seen on the right.

The Drawing Room of The Glen

 

 

 

 

 

 

This image of the cellar of The Glen formed part of a postcard