Smugglers’ inn for sale
Jamaica Inn, the coaching house that inspired one of Daphne du Maurier’s most famous novels, is for sale. Regarded as Cornwall’s most famous smuggling inn thanks to its proximity to the many creeks that were a haven for smugglers of silk, tea, tobacco and brandy, it nestles in the brooding surroundings of Bodmin Moor, which set the scene for du Maurier’s 1936 tale of a murderous gang of shipwreckers. The author stayed at the inn-its exotic name is said to derive from the local Trelawney landowners, two of whom served as governors of Jamaica-in 1930.
The current owners, who bought the property in 1973 from the thriller writer Alistair MacLean, have created a museum of artefacts, including du Maurier’s writing table. The sale comes ahead of a new BBC three-part adaptation of Jamaica Inn for Easter. Matthew Smith of sales agents Christie & Co in Exeter (01392 285600) says: ‘Given the history, the location and the trading records, we anticipate a great deal of interest.’ The Grade II-listed building stands in 6½ acres on the A30; the 17-bedroom property is on the market with a guide price of £2 million.
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