Castles in Sand

This book, published in 1906, came into our collection recently. Walter Poynter Adams was a member of the Institute of Electrical Engineers and wrote a two-volume work on motor cars in 1907.

He appears to have been involved in running national competitions for sandcastles, based on photographs sent in by the makers. He was also, as he says, ‘greatly interested in seaside camps for Public-school boys and Boys’ and Church Lads’ Brigades.’ It conjures up an image of jolly Edwardian uncles on the beach helping children to make castles with rather pedantically correct details. Was this the origin of the sandcastle building competitions that still carry on?

The first sandcastle recorded in literature comes in the work of the medieval writer Gerald of Wales (Giraldus Cambrensis, c.1146-c.1223) who recounts how when his brothers made sandcastles on the beach at Manorbier, he made churches out of sand.

Some of the photographs show a greater sense of fun, such as the cover image shown here.