Portmeirion
Village
by
RCT Masters
The history of Portmeirion Village is of great interest, perhaps due to
its eccentric
founder, Sir Clough Williams-Ellis. Ellis grew up in the Welsh heartlands at the end
of the 19th Century, living the life of a good, Victorian boy. At school he was a good
student, excelling in mathematics and, perhaps surprisingly, art. His parents were quick
to realise his talent for the subject, encouraging him with trips to art galleries and
installations. It was on one of these trips, in October 1897, that the 15 year-old Ellis
first discovered his love for architecture. The exhibition was in honour of the early
works of Richard Norman Shaw, who is now recognised as one of the better late Victorian
architects.
The photos focussed on Shaw's early projects, and Ellis was fascinated by his versatility -
from the Victorian Goth of his Church at Bingley to his pioneering of the Queene Anne style,
Ellis could see that Shaw was truly a master of his craft. Thus it was he carved a career in
the field, making his name as an architect unafraid to try the untried. However, this article
must leave the reader to research this part of his life, as it is more concerned with his
decision to build his idea of paradise on Earth. That is to say, the construction of
Portmeirion Village.
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