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Portmeirion is famed for being the film location of cult 1960s TV sci-fi series The Prisoner,in which actor Patrick Magoohan played a government agent held captive by unknown interrogators.
Well his character, mysteriously labeled 'Number Six', may have been desperate to break free from this fantastical setting, but many would say there are worse places to be trapped. Indeed some of today's visitors are reluctant to leave this 'Little Italy' of North Wales. They willingly flock to Portmeirion in their thousands each year, not just because of its TV connections, but to be amazed by its surreal beauty.
Portmeirion had a hotel and self-catering cottages within its walls, long before the advent of modern day 'theme parks'. Today it continues to draw guests keen to enjoy the spectacular waterside setting and soft white sands of the beach, the lush gardens, quirky buildings and shops, surrounding countryside and the undeniable enjoyment of being in a place which is quite unlike anywhere else.
Portmeirion was the brainchild of eccentric architect Clough Williams-Ellis in 1926.
His links with the area go back generations, since his ancestors built the original Castell Deudraeth in 1188.
That historic site today has a new neighbour in the form of an elegant gazebo designed by the late Clough Williams-Ellis's daughter, Susan, to mark the centenary of his birth. Over 50 years her father created this extraordinary village, restoring and transforming original buildings using a strange mix of historic authenticity and almost futuristic European modernity.
Things To See
Portmeirion is an unusual place, baffling and entrancing, delightfully continental, but with its roots firmly planted in Wales.
Buildings are in the pastel colours of fairytales with ornate follies and statues dotted about the village in what is an escapist's dream of a holiday location. Self-catering cottages have intriguing names like The Angel, and The Chantry, first built as an art studio in 1934 and now a cottage to sleep eight.
The Gloriette was built using columns from Hooton Hall, Cheshire, while The Salutation is on the site of a former stable block.
Holidaymakers can look out of their hotel rooms or cottage windows to see eye-catching attractions like Portmeirion's own copper topped 'pantheon' or dome, built in 1958 to secure the village's 'dome defficiency'. An ornate bell tower is a focal point set amid pine and oak woodland, there's a classical colonnade, which originally stood in Bristol and was reconstructed at Portmeirion in 1959. A statue of Hercules has pride of place in front of 'The Town Hall', which is a licensed restaurant.
Clough's creativity was clearly passed on to his daughter who established the world famous Portmeirion pottery in the 1960s.
It has a shop in the village, while for fans of The Prisoner, there is a souvenir shop entirely devoted to the series.
Other outlets offer gifts, books, traditional foods, Celtic crafts and artworks.
All are within a short walking distance of each other along the trail of pathways which guide visitors around Portmeirion, taking in artistic murals on the walls of buildings, trompe d'oeils, panoramic viewpoints, rhododendron trails, bamboo and eucalyptus plantings and a 'Dancing Tree' forest. There's a Victorian dogs cemetery, a lighthouse, a ghost garden and an oriental lake.
Portmeirion has long been associated with The Prisoner but anyone who visits will discover a destination where the most creative of imaginations run delightfully free.
* The village is run by a charitable organization and is now designated a Conservation Area. For more details visit http://www.portmeirion-village.com/ tel: 01766 772311 (tollgate), 01766 770000 (hotel)
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How To Get There
Road
From the A55, come off at J9 and take the A487 to Caernarfon. From Caernarfon, take the A4085 and turn right when you rejoin the A487. Turn left off the A487 for Portmeirion.
From South Wales, take the A470, continue onto the A487, and turn left for Portmeirion.
Rail
The closest train station is Minffordd, about a mile away.
www.trainline.com provides information on tickets and train time.
Bus
Gwynedd council host timetables on their site here.
Taxi
B & M Taxis
5, Castle St, Penrhyndeudraeth, Gwynedd LL48 6AL
Tel: 01766 770851
