Portmeirion , North Wales

[lugg]

I recently spent a few days exploring North Wales and rather than combining it into one report I have decided to post part of what we saw in postcards .
Here is the first , Portmeirion, which we visited on our way back home, about 45 mins from where we had been staying on the LLyn peninsula.

The weather was great and luckily we arrived early before the crowds descended. ( £ 17 pre booked admission for those that like to know these things )

The village was built by Welsh architect Clough Williams-Ellis from 1925 to 1973. He purchased the Portmeirion site in 1925 for just £20,000. I think it was always meant to be a tourist destination. More info here

portmeirion.wales/about/history-of-portmeirion

Some will also know about the pottery linked with Portmeirion founded by his eldest daughter . I do have a couple of pieces ( mostly plant pots in the traditional design, Botanic Garden) . My mum had several as she really liked it. We visited the shop and I have to say some of the latest designs are beautiful and my sis bought some gorgeous wine glasses. Then pottery is not made in the village – I think at Stoke on Trent heart of the English Potteries.


portmeirion.wales/about/susan-williams-ellis

I really don’t know how to describe it –some describe it as a gigantic architectural folly, it is certainly visually dramatic and the gardens and buildings are so very colourful. See what you think.

As ever I will start with a map,

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I will leave this large in the hope you can see it better – health and safety warnings very apparent !
I was worried if the hills and slopes would be too taxing for my knee but actually there are many places to stop and rest and the slopes although steep are made easier by the design of the main footpaths. In the main there are no cars although there are a few allowed mostly transporting guests between the various locations from the two hotels (Castell Deudraeth ,near to the entrance and the original hotel by the estuary) and village rooms which are available to stay in.

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Entering the village from the car park, we first walked passed this house,

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Fabulous first views of the estuary

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Some may recognise parts of the decoration and inscription, associated with the Prince of Wales

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The decoration within the archway entrance

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Looking back

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And through – from the seat inside the archway which transmits recordings about the village and its creator at set times through the day,

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Moving on and downwards the village begins to unfold

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A bust of Clough Williams - Ellis

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More to follow

[bjd]

As always with you, Lugg -- lovely photos and pretty buildings and colours. I must say it looks a bit disneylandish with all those warning signs about cobbles and uneven surfaces. Are they afraid of being sued if someone trips or is their main clientele older people?

[kerouac2]

You certainly didn't visit the slums!

I like the sign with the hanging sheep, but I would not bet on a happy ending for the poor creature.

[lugg]

Aug 17, 2022 7:48:37 GMT bjd said:

Are they afraid of being sued if someone trips or is their main clientele older people?

Guess afraid of being sued because the visitors were of all ages and nationalities when I visited

[lugg]

Aug 17, 2022 11:17:19 GMT kerouac2 said:

You certainly didn't visit the slums!

Ah well not slums as such but when I get around to another postcard maybe you will see a different side to North Wales

[lugg]

Some more photos as it opened out,


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The town hall - a couple were etting married here when we visited

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Lots of people of all ages enjoying a paddle in the sunshine ..

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No body playing chess though ...

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More to follow

[kerouac2]

That is definitely looking whimsical. I am expecting to see sprites and fairies soon.

[bixaorellana]

Another fascinating and of course unexpected report from you, Lugg! The village is pretty, the landscape is breathtaking, but your photography is grabbing most of my attention, I think. Over the cobblestones & through the archway to the green view beyond is outstanding, among others.

The only thing I ever knew about Portmeirion was the dinnerware. I'm sure I didn't know that it was a place in Wales. And if I had known, I never ever would have guessed its exceptional history.

Clough Williams-Ellis is someone I'd love to know more about. Specifically, I'm wondering if he had some social ideal in mind beyond wanting to create an architectural monument. And so many attendant questions: Did he recruit people to come live there, or did they just show up? You say there was a couple getting married the town hall? Could they be residents, or just a couple wanting a quaint venue for their vows?

There is no denying the charm and there is enough weathering on stonework to dispel some of the overly-tidy aspect. I'm waiting to see less charming aspects, such as a filling station or a dry cleaners.

[mossie]

Picture postcard country, thanks Lugg

[cheerypeabrain]

Fabulous place, great report lugg! I went in the 90s altho the weather wasnt brilliant (it was in April). Did you go in The Prisoner shop? Is it still thete? Ive still got my 'I AM NOT A NUMBER tee shirt somewhere...

It is a beautiful place, looks like they've decorated since my visit..I was fascinated by the little songbirds hopping about the café tables pinching cake crumbs and quite happy to perch on customers' heads and shoulders

[fumobici]

Amazing. Actually looks a bit Côte d'Azur!

[breeze]

Totally charming. The warm colors on the buildings remind me of a part of France where these colors are common on houses, coming right out of the local sand quarries.

[lugg]

Aug 18, 2022 4:20:40 GMT bixaorellana said:

Aug 18, 2022 4:20:40 GMT bixaorellana said:

Clough Williams-Ellis is someone I'd love to know more about. Specifically, I'm wondering if he had some social ideal in mind beyond wanting to create an architectural monument. And so many attendant questions: Did he recruit people to come live there, or did they just show up? You say there was a couple getting married the town hall? Could they be residents, or just a couple wanting a quaint venue for their vows?

There is no denying the charm and there is enough weathering on stonework to dispel some of the overly-tidy aspect. I'm waiting to see less charming aspects, such as a filling station or a dry cleaners.

At first I was going to say no -one lives there, then I thought maybe hotel / estate staff do, then what did he envisage when he created it found this link...

alt.tv.prisoner.narkive.com/FzcHEtjq/does-anyone-live-in-the-village

Anyway no evidence of dry cleaners or garages but I did see this ...

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Re the man - he was an environmentalist of his time and was influential re town planning, creation of protection rights for rural areas and wrote a book about the evils of ribbon developments . But he was also an advocat for tourism

More here if you can avoid the adverts it is interesting .

www.walesonline.co.uk/lifestyle/nostalgia/welsh-history-month-sir-clough-10228462

[lugg]

Aug 18, 2022 8:40:20 GMT cheerypeabrain said:

Did you go in The Prisoner shop? Is it still thete? Ive still got my 'I AM NOT A NUMBER tee shirt somewhere...

Wow Cheery that is a long lived T shirt

I did here a couple of pics ..

The shop is to the left of this pic

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and inside..

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and of course Patrick Magoohan had a bust of honour

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For those who have no idea what Cheery and I are talking about ...

www.theguardian.com/culture/2009/jan/14/television2

This trip was a present from me to my sister and I furnished her with several clues about what I planned - NO 6 was the clue for this day.

[lugg]

Thank you all for your comments.,

[lugg]

Clough described it ( or maybe others did ? ) as a land for fallen buildings . Many of the buildings were built from or re- built from buildings that had fallen into disrepair . One example is The Bristol Colonnade

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and the columns here transported from a stately home in Cheshire

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Also you cannot always believe what you are seeing - this the Unicorn House , now apartment accommodation much loved by Jules Holland apparently may appear to be two stories high but is actually a bungalow

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Not only is there oodles of colour on the buildings but the gardens / planting around the buildings are lovely too,

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Just a few more pics of the views at the bottom of the estuary and the original building , now a hotel to follow.

[kerouac2]

I watched The Prisoner religiously. I would say that there was a golden age for anything British in the United States around 1966.

[htmb]

Really interesting, Lugg. I never would have guessed this was Wales.

[tod2]

Brilliant photos Lugg of a place I've only seen on a map of Wales. Thanks for bringing it to life for me!

[cheerypeabrain]

Thanks for these pics Luggipoo..it really is a magical, quirky place.

[bixaorellana]

Thanks so much for your answers & for the links, Lugg. The Welsh History one sort of makes it sound as though the town was specifically created for tourism, which appears to be largely true. But the message board links states: Clough expressed the hope early on that there would always be a small permanent community in the village.
That seems logical, although there is nothing in that board to back that statement up.
I have to say that this report gives a much better idea of Portmeirion than the Welsh History article does.
It amused me that both links referred to Williams-Ellis by his first name.

I'm guessing the blue thing, with its toilety base is a water filter ~ ?

Your pictures continue to dazzle. Love the one looking straight up that tree. So many lovely plantings, too.

[mara]

I have always wanted to visit and stay over one night since watching The Prisoner. But it is a bit hard to access on public transport...maybe some day. Thanks so much for the wonderful photos!!

[lugg]

Thank you all for your comments Mara - I do hope you manage to get there.

Aug 19, 2022 6:38:23 GMT kerouac2 said:

I watched The Prisoner religiously

I did too but I think it must have been a re-run in the early 70s when I saw it.

Bixa

Aug 19, 2022 22:12:16 GMT bixaorellana said:

I'm guessing the blue thing, with its toilety base is a water filter ~ ?

No - its an old petrol ( gas) pump

[lugg]

final pics ..

Walking on down passed Hercules

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The original ( and still is hotel )

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The swimming pool is only for guests ..but what a setting

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The estuary can be quite treacherous but not for this guy

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Looking back up at the village ...

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And to finish this post card a photo that is not mine but I think it shows Portmeirion within its natural environment ; the peak of Snowden just behind,


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[htmb]

There must be a large battalion of gardeners to take care of the beautiful flowers and foliage. The gardens are really lovely.

[fumobici]

A little seaside city in Wales I'd never heard of and it produced this remarkable set of photos. What else is hiding up there?!?

[htmb]

I have just realized I’ve recently watched a small part of a documentary about Portmeirion. It’s included in Penelope Keith’s Hidden Villages series, which I’ve been watching on Amazon Prime. If you’re able to view the YouTube video below, the Portmeirion segment starts at 29:00. Lugg, I hope you don’t mind me posting this link.

[lugg]

Aug 20, 2022 23:34:20 GMT fumobici said:

What else is hiding up there?!?

So much ... its a very interesting and beautiful place. Can be gritty in parts of course . The Welsh people can be quite fiercely protective ( Quite rightly ) i this part of Wales which has some of the largest numbers of Welsh speakers in Wales.

[lugg]

Aug 21, 2022 1:54:50 GMT htmb said:

I have just realized I’ve recently watched a small part of a documentary about Portmeirion. It’s included in Penelope Keith’s Hidden Villages series, which I’ve been watching on Amazon Prime. If you’re able to view the YouTube video below, the Portmeirion segment starts at 29:00. Lugg, I hope you don’t mind me posting this link.

Of couse not it all adds to the thread. Some of the places Penelope visits in the first 35 mins or so I have posted about previously eg Anglesey and Lake Vyrnwy . I watched all the segment on North Wales.

Lake Vyrnwy is in the news at the moment as the village Penelope talks about has re emerged due to drought

www.walesonline.co.uk/weather/lost-underwater-welsh-village-re-24776450

It must have been 5 years or so ago that she visited Portmeirion as there has not been a festival there since 2017 ( maybe 2018?)


It also is a great introduction to my next postcard from this part of Wales as I also took a train into Snowdonia - not the same one which takes her almost to the summit ( Ive walked up a few years back - in terrible weather and was hoping to get that train down ...but it had stopped running due to the awful weather so I had to trudge back down again.)

But the really great connection is that Clough Williams- Ellis built the summit building in the 1930s. It has now been replaced by a much more modern building .

snowdonrailway.co.uk/summit-visitor-centre/

[htmb]

Penelope’s “Season 1" was released in 2014, according to the Amazon prime notes. No masks in sight!