The Arches

Cadw's description

Location

On the main street-line, immediately N of the Town Hall.

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 Arches was built 1963-4 to designs originated in 1954 and revised 1956. The building originally provided staff accommodation above 3 garages. In 1965 the garages were converted to an antiques shop; the Angel Arcade mural was painted by Hans Feibusch at the time of the conversion.

Exterior

Building of Mediterranean village character comprising 3 storeys plus a dummy attic; rendered elevations with mono-pitch felt roof and wide, overhanging eaves. The 3-bay front facade is symmetrical and has and arcaded ground floor of 3 round headed arches, gently battered to the front and sides. Small-pane glazed shop-front behind the arcade, with glazed door to the centre. 12-pane sashes to the first and second floors, with faux 6-pane windows above; CWE cartouche in cast concrete above the central arcade arch, in the form of a keystone. The central first floor window has a delicate wrought-iron balcony; painted hanging sign to the L , and a lantern bracket attached to the R corner. Irregular window arrangement to the returns, with small-pane windows; painted oval mural plaque to first-floor R return, by Hans Feibusch..

Interior

The interior was not inspected at the time of survey.

Reason for designation

Listed as a former garage and staff accommodation block, one of a number of buildings designed by the eminent architect and conservationist Sir Clough Williams-Ellis for his visionary Portmeirion villiage.

Group value with other listed items at Portmeirion.