Steps, Piers and Associated Cobbled Pavement Descending From Ladies Lodge to the Hercules Statue

Cadw's description

Location

Bordering the Central Piazza on the S side between Ladies Lodge and the Hercules Statue.

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.

Laid out c1964-5 at the time of the remodelling of the Central Piazza and the erection of the Gothick Pavillion. The Stone lion was presented to Sir Clough as a 90th birthday present by friends in 1973.

Exterior

A flight of nine steps descends towards the Hercules monument from the main village lane immediately opposite the Statue of Buddha. At the top of the steps are tall rendered piers with stone ball finials and short sections of turned balustrade terminating in squat inner piers; the latter are surmounted by stone urns. At the bottom of the flight a decorative random-cobbled pavement descends the rest of the way, joined from the SE by a similar pavement descending from the arch between Ladies Lodge and the Round House. Half-way down the pavement, close to the Gothick Pavilion, and on the opposite side of the path, is a large stone sculpture of a recumbant lion on a stone plinth with dedicatory cartouche.

Reason for designation

Listed as one of a number of buildings and structures erected by the eminent architect and conservationist Sir Clough Williams-Ellis for his visionary Portmeirion villiage.

Group value with other listed items at Portmeirion.