Ann Widdecombe, the former Conservative MP and Reform UK figure, was found dead with serious injuries at her home in Haytor on Dartmoor on Friday, prompting a murder investigation by Devon and Cornwall Police. A 26-year-old man has been arrested in connection with her death.
Village in Mourning
The quiet Dartmoor village of Haytor, where Widdecombe lived, has been rocked by the news. Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, paid tribute to her as an "absolute force of nature" after her management firm Cloud9 announced her death at the age of 78.
Widdecombe, who served as a Tory prisons minister, retired from the Commons in 2010 and fulfilled a long-standing dream to live on Dartmoor. She purchased a property near Haytor Rocks, an imposing granite tor on the eastern edge of the national park.
Widdecombe's Rest
In a 2008 interview with the BBC, Widdecombe said friends and colleagues doubted she would make the move, calling it "just a Mills and Boon view of the world." She took pride in proving them wrong, sending text messages to doubters when she arrived at her new home, which she named Widdecombe's Rest.
She told the BBC: "It has a double meaning. It means yes, I'm retiring. But it's also Widdecombe's Rest because it's the rest of my life."
Three miles from her home lies the village of Widecombe-in-the-Moor, which she believed bore a connection to her family. Born in Bath, Somerset, her parents hailed from Saltash and Plymouth. She said her roots were in the region and her connection to Dartmoor began as a child accompanying her father on walks.
"My father loved to walk and so I began to know Dartmoor from really quite a young age," she said.
Life and Career
Widdecombe was a Conservative MP for Maidstone and later Maidstone and the Weald from 1987 to 2010. She famously clashed with Tory colleague Lord Michael Howard, saying he had "something of the night about him." A Brexiteer, she was a fierce debater driven by strong Christian values and a commitment to public service, according to Cloud9.
Her playful side, showcased on Strictly Come Dancing, was reflected in her garden, which featured gnomes. In an interview with The Moorlander magazine, she explained her choice of Haytor: "I wanted something that is reasonably isolated and the outskirts of Haytor are ideal."
"There is nothing in Haytor except a pub, The Rock Inn, and there’s no place better. And there’s a post box. That’s it and that’s what I wanted," she said.
Devon and Cornwall Police confirmed the murder investigation and arrest on Friday afternoon. The investigation continues.
