Retracing Wales: Amroth 01.08.16

Amroth

a short story

The ‘elegant marine castellated villa’, as described in Lewis’s Topographical Dictionary of Wales (1844) at Amroth, between Saundersfoot and Pendine, was built in the 18th century on the site of a Norman castle. Between 1851 and 1856 it was a run as a private asylum.

In the future, says the woman in the chair, the people will be naked, and they will be speaking Welsh.

He is surprised. Why? he says. Why would they be speaking Welsh?

She closes her eyes again and watches and listens. I don’t know, she says, but they will.

All the people? No, sir, just the two of them, a man and a woman. There isn’t anyone else.

He looks uncomfortable, and moves over to the window, looks out from the castle across the wide spacious beach to the sea, which shines an impossible silver. There are gulls, and there are coal boats, sailing boats, rowing boats, fishing boats. A few figures along the shore, all occupied with some work or other. A busy seascape, framed by mock Gothic mullions. He will move into coal, he thinks. There is nothing to be done with the mad...