A Walk Through The Village

The Village has often been described as eclectic, if not bizarre, and it has to be said that this was mostly due to the ageing Ellis's ever-developing eccentricity. Having devoted much of his career to exploring as many forms of architecture as possible, it was perhaps unsurprising that a project as personal as Portmeirion led to a slightly contrived mish-mash of styles. The location was important to Ellis - this was his private venture, so an isolated plot of land on the Cardigan peninsula was ideal. The Village itself is built around a secluded bay, surrounded on the other three sides by dense forest. Access was by a private road, and entry was hard to gain. Nowadays, the Village has been somewhat converted into a popular theme park, so access has been improved, with a tarmac access road leading to ample parking. Ellis would probably shudder to think at the number of people visiting his own paradise, but a site of such architectural interest would be hard to keep private.

Ellis's grand design was to create Portmeirion around a central Piazza, with sweeping avenues leading down to the bay. In the other direction, more claustrophobic pathways would wind up into the forest. Since the decision to convert the Village into a tourist spot was made, the western edge has been cleared slightly, so guests now walk from the parking lots across a footbridge and into a modern plaza, home to all the amenities required of such an attraction. Perhaps now is the moment to note that the entire Village is true to the strong heritage of its creator, keeping all text in Welsh and flying the Welsh Dragon with pride. Translations are provided for the many foreign visitors, but there is no doubt that this is a Welsh village through and through.