Jamaica Inn hotel Du Maurier novel adaptation pulls in 6.1m viewers
The BBC adaptation of Daphne du Maurier's book Jamaica Inn, a story whose title honours the Cornwall hotel of the same name, last night pulled in over six million viewers.
The programme is being broadcast on three consecutive nights, from Easter Monday onwards.
Often dubbed the "smuggling novel" thanks to its focus on the area's smuggling past, Jamaica Inn takes its title from the historic Cornish hotel, which was bought by first-time buyer Allen Jackson off a guide price of £2m in March this year. It was previously operated by former long-time owners John and Wendy Watts.
Over three days from Easter Monday, the hotel is to hold big-screen showings of all three episodes, and is set to serve Jamaica-Inn-themed additions to its usual menu (such as Smuggler's Stew and Mary Ellen Soup). At the time of purchase in March, Jackson called the BBC adaptation of the Du Maurier novel "very timely".
Built in 1750, the property is thought to have got its name thanks to a sizeable involvement with Jamaican rum. It is also said to have played a significant role in the eighteenth century brandy and tea smuggling trade, with some estimates suggesting that half of the brandy and quarter of all tea smuggled into the UK was landed on the Cornish and Devon coasts.
It now has a Smuggling Museum containing smuggling artefacts, and also features Daphne du Maurier's original writing desk.
In March, specialist property advisers Christie + Co confirmed that they had received an unprecedented level of global interest in the hotel, and called the sale "a great result for both buyer and seller".
