Mrs. O. F. Walton wrote many books in the second half of the nineteenth century, and is probably best known for two children's books: Christie's Old Organ and A Peep Behind the Scenes. The wife of a clergyman, she wrote several rather morbid stories for children revolving around premature death.
By the early 1900s Mrs. Walton had moved to less heartrending stories, with two romantic mysteries. The Lost Clue and Doctor Forester. A few minor changes have been made to parts of the text, to make some incidents more easily understood today. All storylines remain unchanged. As well as in e-book format, both these titles are available in paperback from Lighthouse Christian Publishing, as is Was I Right? an earlier romantic story, again without children dying.
The formal way in which the people address each other, and court each other in these stories is how things were done at the time. These books are a window into the past, written by someone who lived in a time when the niceties of etiquette were deeply ingrained into English society, and men often addressed their friends by their surnames.
Where does this story take place? There can be no doubt at all from the many details furnished by Mrs. Walton that Garroch is the peninsular in South Wales called the Gower -- or more correctly simply Gower. Llantrug must be the large town of Swansea to the east of Gower (now a city), which would have been the nearest mainline railway station on the Great Western Railway (G.W.R.).
Where is Hildick? There is only one place that meets every single one of Mrs. Walton's details, and that is the tiny village of Oxwich on the south coast of Gower, exactly fourteen miles by road from Swansea, which is the distance given by Mrs. Walton between Llantrug and Hildick.
Oxwich has a castle that exactly matches Hildick Castle, as well as the sand dunes and rocks. The little church with the Martha graves is perched just above the sea, as described in the book. Pennard Castle is a four mile walk east along the sand at low tide, with a stream that has to be waded halfway along.
So why did Mrs. Walton go to so much trouble to disguise the place names? The identity of Oxwich and its inhabitants might have made uncomfortable reading for some people in the area, because of the way a few of them are portrayed. More of a puzzle is why Mrs. Walton made even the smallest physical detail in her story fit a real place so exactly, if she wanted to avoid it being recognized. It should be noted that the discovery in the castle is only fiction -- so far as anyone knows!
If you want to see what the area looks like today, enter "Oxwich" or "Gower" into Google Earth or Google Images. Alternatively, visit the Gower peninsular. Gower has some stunning scenery, and is a popular area for holidays. It will suit explorers, nature lovers, and people who just want to sit on one of the many sandy beaches and relax. It's an area I got to know well through family holidays.
Chris Wright
Editor
THE VISITORS AT HILDICK
Camping on the headland: Doctor Norman Forester.
Staying at Hildick Castle with the Norrises: Mr. and Mrs. Sinclair, and their sons Val, Dick and Billy, and small daughter Joyce.
Staying at the Bank: Mr. And Mrs. Mainwaring, and brothers and sisters Jack, Don, Mab and Dolly Mainwaring.
Staying with the Jenkins: Mr. Richard Somerville and his daughter Doris.