History

Portmeirion was designed and laid out by the celebrated architect Sir Clough Williams-Ellis (1883-1978) following his purchase of the estate, then called Aber Iâ, in 1926. The village evolved over several decades and was still being added to in the 1970s.

The Central Piazza was laid out in 1965, replacing a tennis court from the 1930s; Clough Williams-Ellis had already drawn up plans for `The Piazza' in 1925, though they remained unexecuted, and were extensively revised in 1963. The oriental figures were used for the filming of "The Inn of the Sixth Happiness" as also the statue of Buddha (qv). originating in Siam. The fountain was brought from Venice.

Exterior

The Central Piazza occupies the main flat area in the centre of the village and consists of a formal fountain basin set within a raised and revetted terrace; this is approached by a shallow flight of cobbled steps from the lower level in front of the Gothick Pavilion (to the S). These steps are flanked by 2 urns and a balustrade, with tall Ionic columns at each end. The columns are topped by gilded oriental dancing figures. The fountain basin is rectangular with apsidal ends and has low copings; at the southern end is a circular stone fountain on a circular plinth. Raised flower beds surround the fountain basin.

Reasons for Listing

Listed for its significance as the main village square and fountain; one of a number of buildings and structures designed by the eminent architect and conservationist Sir Clough Williams-Ellis for his visionary Portmeirion villiage.

Group value with other listed items at Portmeirion.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q29484470

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Central Leinster: Kildare, Laois and Offaly (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
• 
  Dorset (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Berkshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of History Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas
• 
  Staffordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides): Written by Charles O'Brien, 2014 Edition, Publisher: Yale University Press [Hardcover]