A WELSH BEACON BECKONS
AS VISITOR attractions go, the disused jail at Beaumaris on the Welsh isle of Anglesey has little need for special effects. its small, spartan cells and dimly lit corridors do all the work in creating a disturbingly authentic atmosphere.
As we walk along gloomy hallways, it requires little creative ingenuity to imagine what the 30 or so former inmates once experienced in this bleak victorian prison.
then, my husband, Martin, steps into a cell only to hear what he describes as a ‘growly cough’. Presuming it to be a voice-activated recording, he steps out and then back into the room expecting to hear the noise on repeat.
instead he is met with silence. What’s more, there are no other tourists anywhere near this particular cell. Even as a chartered accountant whose default position is robust rationality, Martin is a little spooked. Was this the sound of a long- dead prisoner — the jail closed in 1878
— making his presence known?
sounds fanciful but the idea is endorsed by the cheery ladies on reception, both of whom are dressed in grey drab victorian uniforms. ‘oh we have a visitors’ book for all the sightings here,’ one says, with the characteristic merriment of the many locals we meet in Beaumaris. ‘one visitor came hurrying out just before you arrived because she saw a moving shadow in a cell.’
After this, we enjoy a lungful of salty North Wales sea air along the Beaumaris promenade before repairing to 400-year-old watering hole the Bulls inn, in the centre of the town, for a restorative hot chocolate.
You find history on every corner in this delightful part of Anglesey — not least at one end of town where Beaumaris Castle is an unmissable landmark.
the ruin is known as the ‘great unfinished masterpiece’ — the last of the ‘iron ring’ of North Wales fortresses built by Edward i to face down any rebellion.
the ambition is clear — with grand plans for four concentric defence rings, as well as a huge moat stretching around three sides of the castle. sadly, a combination of trouble in scotland and lack of cash meant the most formidable of the King’s castles was never finished.
Fortunately we have a more complete sense of history in our hotel — the grade ii listed Chateau rhianfa, just a five-minute drive from Beaumaris and which looks over the calm of the Menai strait ( the passage of water which separates Anglesey from Gwynedd, on mainland Wales).
Built by Baronet of Bodelwyddan, sir John Hay-Williams in 1849-1851, the name and design of the house — complete with fairy tale turrets — is influenced by the castles he and his wife encountered when travelling through the Loire region of France. the hotel is a place of art and artefacts, rich fabrics and endless nooks and crannies.
But perhaps one of the most spectacular parts of this corner of Wales belongs not to history, but to something which has endured for all time — its nature. the mist- wreathed, snow- dusted mountains of snowdonia frame the skyline, while boat trips chug from the jetty at Beaumaris to Puffin island — a bird sanctuary and nesting site for many species of breeding seabirds.
Little wonder that whether it’s the sound of soaring seabirds, windswept ruins, cafes or voices from the past, the delightful memory of Beaumaris will haunt us for some time to come.