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Prior to 1925, the estate which we today know as Portmeirion consisted of just a large mansion on the shore of the estuary Traeth Bach and two other buildings, the gardener's bothy (Mermaid) and the stables (Salutation). The grounds were very overgrown, and the mansion was somewhat dilapidated. The estate was at that time known as Aber Ia and its occupant was an eccentric old lady by the name of Mrs. Adelaid Haig, who forbade her gardeners to weed or trim the garden. She also kept dogs in what is now the elegant Mirror Room in the Hotel. Upon Mrs. Haig's death in 1925, the estate was put up for sale by Sir Clough's uncle, and because of the overgrown state of the place and the fairly poor condition of the house due to inadequate maintenance, had an asking price that was very modest. When Sir Clough - who was asked if he knew anyone interested in purchasing it - stood on Battery Rock, he knew immediately that he had found the site for his 'experiment in sympathetic development' - his pet project, to build his own village in sympathy with the natural land contours rather than by destroying them. He had been searching all over the world for an area appropriate for building his dream and, ironically, he found it in his own backyard. |
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He bought the place, renamed it Portmeirion and set about renovating and converting the house into a hotel. Sir Clough needed income from the hotel to finance his future building plans. The hotel opened to paying customers at Easter 1926. The 'Timeline' page in this web site (see link below) indicates the dates and order in which the building took place. The existence of Portmeirion was first recorded on maps by Germany for their planned invasion of Britain. During WWII, government restrictions on residential construction and materials caused a cessation to building in the village, but as soon as peacetime was established, the building and renovation work resumed. During the two cottage building periods, 1925-1938 and 1954-1977, the priority was on design rather than durability. Sir Clough left it to his descendants to strengthen the fragility of some of his creations. In those days the main residential hub was the hotel, and the cottages were mainly for shops or staff accommodation. Later, to obtain adequate revenues for the building program, several cottages were converted for guest accommodation. Likewise some ground floor space in buildings had been designed and used for garage purposes, and later these were converted for shop use. Many of the cottages were built without the use of customary drawings, but took shape using Sir Clough's free-hand sketches with details being settled by site discussions with the craftsmen. This indicates a high degree of understanding and trust with the craftsmen undertaking the work. There is a schedule for renovations and maintenance, and Castell Deudraeth and Watch House are among the buildings slated for restoration in the future. On June 6, 1981, the hotel was gutted by fire and years were spent rebuilding it. It was reopened in 1988. The entire Portmeirion complex is so popular that it is now open year-round except for January. In 1972, Sir Clough deemed his village to be complete and he lived to enjoy his creation for another six years. Sir Clough died at the age of 95 in 1978, justifiably satisfied that his 'experiment' was fulfilled. Portmeirion was given listed building status in 1973 and was recently designated as a Conservation Area. It is owned by a charitable foundation established by Sir Clough in 1925 and is managed by Portmeirion Ltd. Sir Clough's grandson, Robin Llywelyn, is the Managing Director of the company. Many ordinary people and celebrities have been enchanted by the beauty of Portmeirion over the decades, visiting it over and over again, always with an architectural surprise waiting 'round the corner. |
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