Portmeirion: The Architecture of Pleasure

The story of the hundred-year evolution of Portmeirion, a unique and captivating Italianate village on the coast of North Wales

Founded in 1926 by Welsh architect Clough Williams-Ellis (1883–1978), Portmeirion expanded from a hotel into a holiday village of colourful buildings and subtropical gardens evoking a Mediterranean atmosphere. Attracting celebrated writers, actors, and politicians—guests have included Bertrand Russell, Noel Coward, Frank Lloyd Wright, and George Harrison—Portmeirion has survived the challenges of war, fire, and a global pandemic while establishing itself as a popular destination, now receiving over 250,000 annual visitors.

Featuring new photography and unpublished archival material, this book shows Portmeirion as a living, continually evolving place shaped by the diverse people who have lived and worked there. From its role as a safe haven for the queer community during the era of prosecution of homosexuality to the widespread fame of Portmeirion Pottery, Sarah Baylis maps how this secluded Welsh village has retained its popularity through a hundred years of radical social and cultural change.