PORTMEIRION, WALES
English architect Sir Clough Williams-Ellis fell in love with Portofino, Italy, and set out to re-create the atmosphere of an Italian seaside village on a craggy Welsh hillside overlooking a wide, shallow bay at the base of the Llyn Peninsula. We rented a "cottage" here and our stay was a bit like living on a movie set.
Wales is not exactly Italy.
English architect Sir Clough Williams-Ellis fell in love with Portofino, Italy, and set out to re-create the atmosphere of an Italian seaside village on a craggy Welsh hillside overlooking a wide, shallow bay at the base of the Llyn Peninsula. We rented a "cottage" here and our stay was a bit like living on a movie set.
Wales is not exactly Italy.
I would guess that, apart from Antarctica, Wales is the farthest one could get from a colorful Italian playground in the sun, and our 50 mile drive from the ferry terminal at Holyhead to Portmeirion was a bit like waking up in the Land of Oz after spending a night in Kansas.
Wales is generally thought of as a somber place consisting of harsh weather and great, gray castles, for it is home to some of the finest medieval castles in Europe. And then, there are the Welsh stories; tales of King Arthur and Merlin, the magician, of druids, dragons, chivalrous deeds and kingdoms lost beneath the sea. Which makes Portmeirion all the harder to reckon with.
Planning & building took 25 years; is famous for "The Prisoner".
Combining property he had inherited with some he bought, Williams-Ellis completed his village in two stages. From 1925 to 1939 he plotted the village and erected its most distinctive buildings. From 1954 to 1975 he filled in the details. Portmeirion's primary claim to fame is as the setting for the 1960s cult TV series, "The Prisoner," starring Patrick McGoohan. McGoohan played a retired special agent who knew too much and was whisked off to "The Village" to keep him isolated. One of the village shops is still devoted to "Prisoner" memorabilia, and a "Prisoner" convention is held here annually.
Microclimate supports tropical gardens; daytrippers swarm in.
Playing into Williams-Ellis's hands and helping him achieve the atmosphere he wanted was an unusual microclimate of the property in which Mediterranean plants and trees thrive, and the whole village consists of a profusion of well cared for flowering gardens. Teeming sightseers arrive by the busload during the day, their voices echoing off the surrounding hillsides in a steady bee-like drone, but at night, deserted except for paying guests, the village is transformed into a fairyland of lights that play on the colors and shadows.
Use Portmeiron as a base to explore castles.
We used Portmeirion as a base for exploring many of the castles but weren't prepared for the hordes of people using the nearest town, Porthmadog, as a gateway to beautiful Snowdonia National Park. There were wall-to-wall traffic jams all day long. The park is well known for its hiking trails.
Visit slate quarry via narrow gauge steam train.
One of the unusual attractions at Porthmadog is the Ffestinlog Railway, a narrow-gauge steam-powered train--the oldest independent railway company in the world--that winds 13 miles through the beautiful scenery of the National Park to the slate quarry town of Blaenau Ffestinlog. We took it one day and toured the quarry. (If you're into narrow gauge railroads, check out others: Welshpool & Llanfair Railway, the Talyllyn, and The Welsh Highland Railway.)
Unique place to stay, though expensive & a bit frumpy.
Portmeriron is a unique, but expensive, place to stay. I would have paid it willingly, however, if the accommodations had been updated accordingly. As it was, I felt it was a bit like visiting my old Aunt Abigail who was still living rather shabbily in the 1920s era, and I left feeling slightly cheated. I would recommend asking detailed questions if you book.
By all means, if you can afford it, eat at The Hotel, a converted 1850 mansion on the waterfront, once described as "one of the most picturesque of all the summer residences to be found on the sea-coast of Wales." The description is not an exaggeration. It's a throw-back to fine, old restaurants, where the staff is trained to treat you as honored guests. Rooms are available for those who wish to stay less than a week.
Wales is generally thought of as a somber place consisting of harsh weather and great, gray castles, for it is home to some of the finest medieval castles in Europe. And then, there are the Welsh stories; tales of King Arthur and Merlin, the magician, of druids, dragons, chivalrous deeds and kingdoms lost beneath the sea. Which makes Portmeirion all the harder to reckon with.
Planning & building took 25 years; is famous for "The Prisoner".
Combining property he had inherited with some he bought, Williams-Ellis completed his village in two stages. From 1925 to 1939 he plotted the village and erected its most distinctive buildings. From 1954 to 1975 he filled in the details. Portmeirion's primary claim to fame is as the setting for the 1960s cult TV series, "The Prisoner," starring Patrick McGoohan. McGoohan played a retired special agent who knew too much and was whisked off to "The Village" to keep him isolated. One of the village shops is still devoted to "Prisoner" memorabilia, and a "Prisoner" convention is held here annually.
Microclimate supports tropical gardens; daytrippers swarm in.
Playing into Williams-Ellis's hands and helping him achieve the atmosphere he wanted was an unusual microclimate of the property in which Mediterranean plants and trees thrive, and the whole village consists of a profusion of well cared for flowering gardens. Teeming sightseers arrive by the busload during the day, their voices echoing off the surrounding hillsides in a steady bee-like drone, but at night, deserted except for paying guests, the village is transformed into a fairyland of lights that play on the colors and shadows.
Use Portmeiron as a base to explore castles.
We used Portmeirion as a base for exploring many of the castles but weren't prepared for the hordes of people using the nearest town, Porthmadog, as a gateway to beautiful Snowdonia National Park. There were wall-to-wall traffic jams all day long. The park is well known for its hiking trails.
Visit slate quarry via narrow gauge steam train.
One of the unusual attractions at Porthmadog is the Ffestinlog Railway, a narrow-gauge steam-powered train--the oldest independent railway company in the world--that winds 13 miles through the beautiful scenery of the National Park to the slate quarry town of Blaenau Ffestinlog. We took it one day and toured the quarry. (If you're into narrow gauge railroads, check out others: Welshpool & Llanfair Railway, the Talyllyn, and The Welsh Highland Railway.)
Unique place to stay, though expensive & a bit frumpy.
Portmeriron is a unique, but expensive, place to stay. I would have paid it willingly, however, if the accommodations had been updated accordingly. As it was, I felt it was a bit like visiting my old Aunt Abigail who was still living rather shabbily in the 1920s era, and I left feeling slightly cheated. I would recommend asking detailed questions if you book.
By all means, if you can afford it, eat at The Hotel, a converted 1850 mansion on the waterfront, once described as "one of the most picturesque of all the summer residences to be found on the sea-coast of Wales." The description is not an exaggeration. It's a throw-back to fine, old restaurants, where the staff is trained to treat you as honored guests. Rooms are available for those who wish to stay less than a week.
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