The story crosses the Bristol Channel to the windswept Braunton Burrows of North Devon, a vast expanse of shifting dunes and wild nature. The area has many parallels with Kenfig holding its own stories of a town buried under the sand. In this chapter, the landscape becomes almost a character in itself — a place of danger, concealment, and testing for those who venture there. Blackmore’s eye for detail brings the setting alive, contrasting with the familiar South Wales coast we have come to know.

The mention of Braunton Burrows highlights the strong historical links between South Wales and North Devon. For centuries, small sailing vessels crossed the Bristol Channel carrying limestone from Glamorgan’s quarries to North Devon, where it was burned in limekilns for agriculture and building. In  ...