Ann Widdecombe's Dartmoor home, purchased in 2008 and named 'Widdecombe's Rest', is a place of stunning isolation where she says, 'You don't see another human being for days.' The 1950s house sits on the eastern fringe of Dartmoor, near Haytor, and she vowed never to leave it.
A Strictly Retirement
Widdecombe, the former Shadow Home Secretary, has embraced retirement fully. She told a visitor, 'I'm completely free. I'm open to opportunities. And Strictly opened up a whole future that I would never have expected.' She danced on Strictly Come Dancing, went on a live tour, and performed in pantomime with Craig Revel Horwood.
She reflected on her political past: 'I think the great thing about retirement is that I've managed to accept what a lot of the commentariat can't – I'm no longer a politician.' She notes that her behaviour on Strictly would not have been fitting if she were still an MP.
No Peerage, No Regrets
Despite expecting a peerage after leaving the Commons in 2010, Widdecombe was not elevated to the House of Lords. She said, 'Yes, I would have liked it, but it's not been offered, so there's no point in dwelling on it.' She speculates that Prime Minister David Cameron may have viewed her as 'too traditional' and against his modernization programme.
She was offered the post of ambassador to the Holy See but declined due to a detached retina in July. 'I had all manner of doubts about it, then I had a detached retina in July, and the eye just sort of settled it,' she explained.
Life on Dartmoor
Widdecombe chose Dartmoor over the northwest Highlands for its warmer climate, family connections, and walking opportunities. Her father was born in Saltash and her mother in Plymouth. She still has relatives in the area. She loves walking on the moor, often heading to Hound Tor, and finds it spiritually uplifting: 'When you're walking out on the moor on your own, miles from anywhere, and you don't see another human being for days, or you only see them in the far distance, then yes, you certainly can feel closer to God.'
Her home, named 'Widdecombe's Rest', is a play on words: 'A lot of people think it means rest, as in having a rest,' she laughs. 'But what it actually means is the rest of Widdecombe's life!'
Strict Rules for Guests
Visitors to her home are greeted by a notice on the lounge door: 'No outdoor shoes. No foul beasts.' She is hospitable but direct, managing a busy household with assistants and tradespeople while entertaining guests.
Love and Loss
Widdecombe never married or had children. She had a three-year romance at Oxford with Colin Maltby, who later became a banker in Geneva. She said, 'I rather assumed that I would find somebody else and marry. But it was always a mixture of choice and chance that I didn't.' Her father died in 1999, and her mother lived with her until 2007. Her elder brother, an Anglican Canon, died of cancer in 2009.
Political Beginnings
Born in Bath, she studied Latin at Birmingham University and PPE at Oxford. She first contested Burnley in 1979 and Plymouth Devonport in 1983 before winning Maidstone in 1987, a seat she held for 23 years. She says she always wanted 'to fight socialism.'
Widdecombe remains open to new ventures, working on her fifth novel and planning an autobiography. 'Basically, I don't know what's coming next, and that's the joy of retirement. You grab what comes along!'
