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carving that he wanted to utilize. And ry includes housing a prep school and
The lush gardens of Portmeirion piazza.
the crown atop the town hall is an up- apartments. Awarded by several major
side-down copper cauldron, used for travel magazines as one of Britain’s most
boiling pigs! unique hotels, it’s named for the original
Castell Deudraeth
There’s even a dog built nearby circa
cemetery on the 1175 by Gruffydd
property, estab- ap Cynan ab Owain
lished by the ec- Gwynedd, king of
centric Mrs. Ad- North Wales. It was
elaide Haig, who razed circa 1869
resided from 1870 by Sir William Fo-
until 1917 in the thergill Cook, “lest
mansion that later the ruins should
became the Hotel become known and
Portmeirion. Said attract visitors to
to prefer dogs instead of human friends, the place.”
she would take in strays and read ser-
mons to her cherished canine creatures Several popular films and British televi-
in the elegant Mirror Room. (Rumor has sion shows have been filmed in Portmei-
it that one cat is buried in the cemetery, rion, among them the series “Cold Feet”
snuck in during the dead of night.) -- and “The Prisoner,” which has retained
a cult following. Some 12 million view-
Today, off-the-beaten-path Portmeirion ers tuned in each episode, putting this
- which appears to be a magical Mediter- village on the map.
ranean village - is a popular tourist at-
traction and site of numerous weddings, We drove here by rental car, and the day
including those of celebrities. The estate we visited it rained. But, with the cheer-
is owned by the Ymddiriedolaeth Clough ful pastel buildings (including shops and
Williams-Ellis Foundation, a registered restaurants) reflected in the wet pave-
charity. ment, and with visitors strolling along
the cobblestone paths holding opened,
And many of the uniquely designed, pas- colorful umbrellas, it gave it even more
tel-colored buildings, built or relocated of a charming, magical feel.
here during the mid- and late 1920s,
include the Italianate style (Bell Tower, IF YOU GO
Watch House, Government House) and
the arts and crafts (Angel, Neptune, Toll For information: www.portmeirion-village.com
House), as well as Georgian (Gate House,
Bridge House, Belvedere, Chantry Row, The Clough Williams-Ellis estate Plas Brondanw:
Unicorn, Round House, Telford’s Tower), www.brondanw.org
built or moved here during the 1950s
and 1960s. Some have been converted to VisitWales: www.visitwales.com
self-catering cottages, ideal for vacation-
ing families. www.americas.visitwales.com

There’s also the 11-room Castell Deudra- VisitBritain: www.visitbritain.com
eth, which Williams-Ellis bought from
a relative in 1931, where we stayed, BritRail: www.britrail.com
a 10-minute stroll from the village.
Photos (c) Tim Richmond Photography Opened in May 2001, it was originally Photos from WIKI Commons, Tim Richmond Pho-
an 18th century cottage, later enlarged tography, and Portmeirion Ltd
into a 19th century mansion. Its histo-

Wine Dine & Travel Winter 2015 55