A spectacular Oxfordshire house that was home to Agatha Christie
Once home to the Murder on the Orient Express author and her husband, Grade II-listed Winterbrook House is also appealing for its magnificent Thames-side setting.


Winterbrook House stands in an appealing setting on the banks of the Thames on the edge of this historic Wallingford, 12 miles from Henley-on-Thames and 15 miles from Oxford and a mile from Waitrose.
Dating from the 17th-century with Georgian rear additions, this Grade II-listed property comes to the market through Savills at a guide price of £2.75 million.
An English Heritage blue plaque on its Queen Anne façade announces that this charming five-bedroom house was the much-loved former home of Dame Agatha Christie and her globe-trotting husband, the archaeologist Sir Max Mallowan.
Having met and married Mallowan in 1930, crime writer Christie — reputedly the bestselling author of all time — bought Winterbrook House as their main residence before buying, four years later, Greenway House in Devon as their summer retreat.
The couple lived at Winterbrook House until Christie’s death in 1976, although they travelled widely in connection with Sir Max’s work (fans of Hercule Poirot will recall every minute of Death on the Nile and Murder on the Orient Express, the latter written in the Pera Palace Hotel in Istanbul).
For the past 20 years, Winterbrook has been the cherished family home of its international owners, who are now looking to downsize. The main house offers 4,190sq ft of immaculate living space on three floors, including a reception hall, three main reception rooms, a study, a kitchen/breakfast room, a principal bedroom suite and two further bedrooms on the first floor, plus two more bedrooms on the second floor.
It comes with an attached one-bedroom cottage and frontage to the Thames, with scope to instal a historic pontoon mooring, subject to the usual consents.
Sign up for the Country Life Newsletter
Exquisite houses, the beauty of Nature, and how to get the most from your life, straight to your inbox.
Winterbrook House is for sale at £2.75 million via Savills — see more pictures or enquire with the agent for further details.
Wallingford: What you need to know
- Location: Wallingford is situated about half an hour's drive from both Oxford and Henley-on-Thames
- Atmosphere: A historic riverside town, Wallingford brims with antique shops, coffee shops, pubs and restaurants. It also has a theatre and cinema and a large Waitrose
- Things to do: There's plenty of choice, from walking and cycling on the Chilterns to boating and rowing on the Thames. Golf is at the Springs Hotel Golf Club and the Wallingford Sports Park is home to tennis, squash, rugby and hockey clubs.
- Schools: Independent schools in the area include Moulsford Prep School, Cranford House, The Oratory Prep and Public School, Downe House, Radley College, Abingdon School and the European School in Abingdon, Pangbourne College and Bradfield College. Find more properties in the area.
A Georgian country house full of period features, set in grounds that are a true haven for wildlife
In the heart of Devon, Bolham House is a simply delightful country home with almost endless space, plus three cottages.
Carla must be the only Italian that finds the English weather more congenial than her native country’s sunshine. An antique herself, she became Country Life’s Arts & Antiques editor in 2023 having previously covered, as a freelance journalist, heritage, conservation, history and property stories, for which she won a couple of awards. Her musical taste has never evolved past Puccini and she spends most of her time immersed in any century before the 20th.
-
17 outstanding homes for sale across Britain, from under £250k to £6.5 million, as seen in Country Life
Something for every budget in this week's round up of homes across the country that have come to market via Country Life.
By Toby Keel Published
-
'We started thinking: if we were going to design a bike for Aston Martin, what would it look like? And then we simply couldn’t stop': Aston's new bike has everything you could ever dream of — except a price tag
The new Aston Martin .1R bicycle, a collaboration with manufacturer J.Laverack, leaves Paul Henderson stirred rather than shaken.
By Paul Henderson Published
-
17 outstanding homes for sale across Britain, from under £250k to £6.5 million, as seen in Country Life
Something for every budget in this week's round up of homes across the country that have come to market via Country Life.
By Toby Keel Published
-
An utterly charming island home in Scotland with gardens so beautiful they made the cover of Country Life
An Cala on the Isle of Seil has a fascinating history that is only enhanced by its amazing setting.
By James Fisher Published
-
Soft tones and a sense of place: A Mayfair duplex that breaks the modern mould
A new designer-led residence at 60 Curzon in Mayfair reminds us that everything new doesn't necessarily have to look it.
By James Fisher Published
-
'The very best North Yorkshire has to offer': The £25 million Kirkham Estate
With 1,103 acres and on the market for the first time in a century, we've got a new frontrunner for the sale of the year.
By Penny Churchill Published
-
The reality of 20 years of house price rises in Britain, from the places that have had a charmed life to the spots where it's a struggle to move back home
At first glance the ups and downs of the property market seem to even out over time — but dig in to the numbers and you'll see wild regional variations which paint a very difference picture. Annabel Dixon analyses new research which tells the story.
By Annabel Dixon Published
-
A historic Yorkshire hall, meticulously restored to its former 18th-century magnificence
Womersley Park is a masterpiece and one of Yorkshire's great historic houses. And it could be yours.
By Penny Churchill Published
-
Rowing past dreams: An idyllic riverside home with a boathouse, croquet pitch and Olympic pedigree
The Manor in Long Wittenham is a perfect Thames-side getaway. Comes with a free boat.
By James Fisher Published
-
A bucolic Sussex home that's 'like stepping into a fairytale', yet just 30 minutes from central London
Felmere House is a playground for nature and only 30 minutes from London.
By James Fisher Last updated