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Cof Cymru: National Historic Assets of Wales · Wales

Former Tollhouse (Now Public Telephone Kiosk)

Penrhyndeudraeth, Gwynedd, Wales

A Grade II listed building in Portmeirion, Penrhyndeudraeth, Gwynedd, designated on 23 August 2002.

Ordnance Survey six-inch map, 2nd edition (1888–1913) covering the location of Former Tollhouse (Now Public Telephone Kiosk), Penrhyndeudraeth, Gwynedd, with a pin at the register's coordinates
Ordnance Survey six-inch map, 2nd edition (1888–1913), covering this location. Courtesy of the National Library of Scotland. The pin is ours, placed from the register's coordinates.

The record

Designation
Listed building, Grade II
Broad class
Gardens, Parks and Urban Spaces
Date of designation
23 August 2002
Locality
Portmeirion
Community
Penrhyndeudraeth
Unitary authority
Gwynedd
Country
Wales
Coordinates
52.91389, -4.09744
Cadw reference
26876

Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.

David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries

5 historical maps cover this location, the earliest the 1795 map "To Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn Bart ... the map of the six counties of North Wales is most humbly inscribed by his obedient humble servant" (Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru – The National Library of Wales).

Historical maps covering this location

  • 1795 · To Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn Bart ... the map of the six counties of North Wales is most… (Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru – The National Library of Wales)
  • 1830 · V.3:11-15:XV. Britisches Reich. A. Kon: England. b. Frstenthum Wales: Shire: 37-40 (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
  • 1883 · Watershed map England, Wales 3. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
  • 1896 · Sheet 7. Ordnance Survey of England and Wales. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
  • 1901 · Sheet 9 and 10. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)

Get directions ↗

This record in Cadw's own full report ↗

Cadw's description

At the start of the main village road, immediately S of the reception block (Chantry Lodge).

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.

Built in the 1950s as a tollhouse, thereby replacing Toll Gate in Battery Square, where visitors originally announced themselves.

Former tollgate of rubble construction The structure is built in folly-style in the form of a pair of truncated drum towers with central arched entrance; a flight of eight steps ascends up to and through the open entrance and terminates at an arched entrance in the L return of the taller, right-hand tower; this with boarded door. The left-hand tower has a similar arched entrance to the L (facing SE), with recessed panelled door; this gives access to the telephone kiosk. Slit-light to the front (NE) of the latter tower. An electrified lantern is affixed to the top of the stepped-up central link wall which contains the arch.

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.

Nearby in the register

Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.

Designated Historic Asset GIS Data, The Welsh Historic Environment Service (Cadw), 2026-09-07, licensed under the Open Government Licence http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/ Cadw, the Welsh Historic Environment Service · Open Government Licence v3.0
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