A Village Unlike Any Other
Portmeirion is one of the most extraordinary places in Britain: an Italianate fantasy village constructed between 1925 and 1975 by the eccentric architect Sir Clough Williams-Ellis on a privately owned wooded peninsula above the Dwyryd estuary. Williams-Ellis spent half a century gathering architectural salvage from demolished buildings across Britain, combining it with his own designs to create a colourful, whimsical village of campaniles, domes, colonnades and fountains overlooking a golden estuary with Snowdonia behind.
The village became world-famous as the setting for the cult 1960s television series The Prisoner, starring Patrick McGoohan, and still attracts fans of the show from around the world. But Portmeirion stands on its own merits: there is nowhere else like it, and a visit is genuinely memorable regardless of any television associations.
The Gardens
The woodland gardens surrounding the village are remarkable in their own right. The mild, sheltered climate of the peninsula supports an extraordinary collection of exotic plants: giant rhododendrons, tree ferns, bamboo, Chilean lantern trees and much else that could not survive in a harsher location. The woodland walks below the village, leading to a shell-strewn beach on the estuary, are beautiful at any time of year.
Staying at Portmeirion
Portmeirion is also a hotel. Rooms within the village buildings — some with views across the estuary, others in converted lodges in the woodland — allow guests to experience the village in the early morning and evening when day visitors have departed. The hotel restaurant is well regarded. Booking essential throughout the season.
Getting There from Porthmadog
Portmeirion is four miles west of Porthmadog. Drive the A487 towards Penrhyndeudraeth and turn right onto the Portmeirion private road before the bridge. Day visitor parking is available at the village entrance — there is an admission charge for entry. Alternatively, take the train to Minffordd station on the Ffestiniog Railway and walk the mile to the village entrance. There is a cafe and shop within the village.
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