Behind the Scenes

A Gallery of Sites and Places

The reality behind the fiction

I go to many places to research locations where scenes are set 

- here are a few of them ...
(some are a bit blurry - old camera!)

* * * 

THE JAN CHRISTOPHER MYSTERIES

Set in the 1970s  Cosy Mystery 'WhoDunIt'

#1 A MIRROR MURDER: will a murder spoil Library Assistant

Jan Christopher's new romance? https://getbook.at/MirrorMurder

#2 A MYSTERY of MURDER: Will the discovered remains of a body

spoil Christmas in Devon? (And will that farmer ever mend his fences?)

http://mybook.to/AMysteryOfMurder

My mystery series will alternate between the location of Chingford, 

a north-east suburb of London 

and other places - probably, usually North Devon.

The main Chingford Location is

South Chingford Library, Hall Lane

where I worked from August 4th 1969 to 1982

(now alas, no longer a library)

the police telephone box in Albert Crescent
Chingford Mount Road
The Old Church can be seen in the distance
at the top of The Mount

The Odeon Cinema - no longer there
now a supermarket

Chingford Mount
the cemetery is on the left

South Chingford Library - as was
now Age Concern offices
(photos ©Alison Morton)

Hall Lane, Chingford E4

~ The Sea Witch Voyages ~

~ Sea Witch ~

Voyage One

DORSET COAST 

where I planned the story and met Jesamiah Acorne
click here for the full story!

ABOARD SEA WITCH

thank you to Sue Bloom for the following seven photos

taken aboard The Rose/ Surprise aka Sea Witch

Captain's Table

where the men ate 

looking towards the bow

the Helm 

on deck 

and so to bed 

The Rose 

I based Sea Witch on the tall ship Rose - also known as 

Surprise from the movie Master & Commander

~ ~ ~ 

The following four images are by permission of John F. Millar 

owner & host of Newport House B & B 

Williamsburg, Virginia.

Colonial House

Newport House is in the style of the Colonial period - while not totally authentic in detail (no electricity in the 18th Century ) these images do give an idea of how well-off people would have lived - Jesamiah's home at La Sorenta, for instance, would have these features: he would recognise many things. 

Colonial Ball - The ballroom

Colonial Bedchamber 

(authentic apart from the lamps & air conditioning!)

~ ~ ~ 

a dear friend kindly took these photos

of the Florida Beach - where Jesamiah's ship went down

~ Pirate Code ~

Voyage Two

NASSAU 

My thanks to José Bográn for the lovely photos of Nassau! 

approaching Nassau - sunset 

 Nassau Harbour

View from the cannon mount at Fort Fincastle (c 1793).

Cannon mount at Fort Fincastle. 

These are replicas, the original weaponry was sent back to England.

View of the other end of Fort Fincastle. 

Fun fact: the castle was shaped to look as a seagoing ship.

View from the bottom of the Queen’s Staircase. 

Carved by slaves in the 18th Century 

(after Jesamiah's time)

Market stalls at the bottom of Queen’s Staircase

Thank you to Crysaa Bazos for these next photos:

Legend has it that this was Blackbeard's Tower on Nassau where he would keep watch on shipping coming in and out of harbour. It is unlikely to have been Blackbeards - but it was a watch tower!

This is the view from the base
of the tower facing north.

~ Bring It Close ~

Voyage Three

VIRGINIA

Gov. Alexander Spotswood of Virginia

Hampton Roads - Virginia

WILLIAMSBURG

GOVERNOR'S PALACE

where Jesamiah sat and talked to AAlicia

from John Brush's house

 John Brush's  House

 The Capitol Building

Courtroom

Williamsburg Gaol - from the exercise yard 

Williamsburg gaol -the  window & the "toilet!

The Ocracoke

Photos: Cathy Helms www.avalongraphics.org

~ Ripples In The Sand ~

Voyage Four

A tobacco hogshead 

"Pressed" Tobacco

loading tobacco hogsheads 

DEVON, ENGLAND

Where Ripples In the Sand is set

BARNSTAPLE

Barnstaple Quay

Barnstaple Old Bridge
where Jesamiah met Winnard Doone in the dead of night

Queen Anne's Square
 the jailbreak was just behind here

Barnstaple Quay

APPLEDORE

The Full Moon Inn would have had a similar view

One End Street

Market Street
this corner building (on the left) is where the Full Moon Inn was located.
The buildings on the right would not have been there in the early 1700's

Looking towards Appledore from Instow

 Appledore - On the far side of the estuary, opposite Instow & Crow Point

The Bar

from Appledore towards the sea

INSTOW

Moonlight over Instow

Instow - looking towards Appledore

Instow - where the fictional Tawford Barton is placed

LUNDY ISLAND

Lundy from Hartland Point - a smuggler's haven

You can just see the island of Lundy on the left in the distance

EXMOOR

Doone Valley

NORTHAM - KNAPP HOUSE

Knapp house as it is today
Where John Benson and his son, Thomas lived

Knapp House, (Artist Impression) Devon

 The Lane beside the House
Jesamiah walked down here with Pamela and Thomas

 River Torridge below Knapp House

~ On The Account ~

Voyage Five

Tiola  crosses the Moor to get to Doone Valley
- and meets with an old friend...... and then an enemy

Exmoor

Exmoor  overlooking the sea

Castle Rock

Exmoor Ponies

Llandoger Trow Bristol

1930's & below,. modern day

A well known Smuggler's haunt and said to be

the inspiration for the Admiral Benbow in Treasure Island

two gables were destroyed in WWII bombing

Jesamiah stays here for a couple of nights
and where the adventure starts!

POSSIBLY in 
~ GALLOWS WAKE ~ 
Voyage Six
(not yet written)

The coffee shop - Williamsburg

Duke of Gloucester Street

Situated near the Capitol this will be Alicia Mereno's pride and joy 

(financed with Jesamuiah's diamonds) 

The coffee shop will feature in Voyage Five of the series - On the Account 

~ The MERMAID VOYAGES ~

WHEN THE MERMAID SINGS
Voyage One

PORT ROYAL
reconstructed

(images taken from: http://www.nationalgeographic.com.au/tv/wicked-pirate-city/ )

More information links about Port Royal, Jamaica

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_Royal

http://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/5430/

http://nauticalarch.org/projects/port-royal-harbor-excavation/

~ ~ ~

~ The Pendragon's Banner Trilogy ~

The Kingmaking 

Pendragon's Banner 

Shadow of the King 

Glastonbury Tor 

Yns Witrin in the Pendragon's Banner Trilogy

 (note: the tower was built in the 14th Century)

 Cadbury - the entrance as it is today

Cadbury "Castle" - an ancient hillfort

Caer Cadan in the Pendragon's Banner Trilogy

 Tintagel, Cornwall

Modern-Day Aquae Sulis (Bath)

The Roman Baths

 ~ ~ ~ 
The Saxon Lost Kingdom Series

~ A Hollow Crown / The Forever Queen ~

~ Harold the King / I am the Chosen King ~

US edition of A Hollow Crown

UK edition of The Forever Queen

UK edition of I Am The Chosen Kingg

US edition of Harold The King

YORKSHIRE, ENGLAND

ROBIN HOOD'S BAY

as it is today of course, not 11th Century

the cliffs where Emma climbed up with her baby

ESSEX

WALTHAM ABBEY

The Abbey

The River Lee

SUSSEX

BOSHAM

where Godwine and Harold's Wessex manorhouse was located

near where Cnut tried to turn the tide

Holy Trinity Church

 Battle Abbey and the site of the Battle of Hastings 1066

NORMANDY

Mon Saint Michel

Dives San Mer

CAEN

St Stephens

Duke William's Cathedral

Duchess Mathilda's Abbey

Abbey of Sainte-Trinité, Caen

The Convent

FALAISE

Falaise Castle