12c Cumulonimbus Clouds Observ
Barmouth Viaduct at Sunset 
Llanberis from Penllyn 
Morfa Bychan beach near Porthmadog 
North Wales Calendar 
Portmeirion Hotel,
Gwynedd, LL48 6ET, Wales, UK
Phone: 01766-770228
IT'S difficult not to notice the late architect Sir Clough Williams-Ellis' distinctive fingerprints smudged around the village of Garreg, and up into the remote valley of Cwm Croesor.
And it's not just that his former Brondanw estate - now run by a charity foundation which he set up - still owns 3,000 acres, five farms and 53 homes in these parts.
The trademark Portmeirion blue in evidence on buildings and gates around the place - a colour he concocted, although more of a turquoise in reality - tends to be a dead giveaway.
Designed to be an instantly recognisable marketing label for his best known creation, the spectacular Italianate village of Portmeirion some five miles away, it's become inextricably linked with much of his delightfully over-the-top brand of architecture.
But it's about much more than just a lick of paint. Look carefully and you'll see evidence of his quirky style dotted throughout this isolated area on the edge of Snowdonia, be it an arched gateway to nowhere in particular, an idiosyncratic chimney, or a peculiar stone folly on the roadside.
While Portmeirion has, naturally, lapped up the plaudits, less well known is the great eccentric's family home of Plas Brondanw here in Garreg. Built by John ap Hywel and completed in 1550, with a new wing added in 1666, Sir Clough's father was brought up in this very house in the 1830s.
The architect inherited it in 1908, and spent the best part of 70 years embellishing it, and indulging in his passion for all things Italian by developing the gardens into a stunning renaissance conception that wouldn't look out of place in Tuscany.
They're lovingly nurtured by the same team of gardeners that look after the majestic masterpieces at Portmeirion.
Split into a warren of private enclosures by hedging and fascinating topiary, the gardens are dotted with an eclectic mix of ornamental terraces, elaborate gates, urns and statues.
Although the house isn't open to the public, there's still much to admire from the outside, while the gardens are acknowledged as being among Wales' finest. They're open 9am-5pm daily, admission £3, payable into a reassuringly old-fashioned honesty box.
Another of Sir Clough's creations is the impressive watchtower called Pentwr on a rocky outcrop above Plas Brondanw.
It puffs its stony chest out as if daring the chill winds sweeping in off Cnicht - Wales' own miniature Matterhorn - at the far end of the valley to do their worst. built with the proceeds of a whip round, a wedding gift from his fellow army officers soon after World War I, and can be reached via a footpath that through a deep woodland gorge from an ornate gateway opposite the house.
It's a short but strenuous enough trek that should have you ready for refreshments. The local pub, unsurprisingly called the Brondanw Arms, offers a wide selection of food and drink.
Otherwise, why not venture a couple of miles to the splendidly isolated village of Croesor?
Here you'll find the community-owned tearoom Caffi Croesor, where you can enjoy a cuppa and a scone or some bara brith, and more filling fare at times.
It opens between noon and 4.30pm most days, later when the days get longer, and at most other times by prior arrangement. It all depends, I'm told on enquiring.
Confused? Don't be: just pick up the phone and ask. It's Celtic fringe eccentricity of the highest order. Sir Clough would've loved it.
