Prior's Lodging

Cadw's description

Location

Facing Battery Square, adoining Battery.

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.

Prior's Lodging was built in 1929 as part of the Battery Square development and was conceived in Kentish vernacular style. The name derrives from the building's first tennant, the Prior of the Monastery of Caldy. The entrance has a Baroque Italian doorway taken from Sir Clough's London studio.

Exterior

Small cottage of 2-storeys with rendered elevations and mono-pitch, pantiled roof facing the square; sprocket eaves. C19 Gothic stone archway to the L with Tudor-arched head and boarded door; 6-pane vertical window to the centre with external shutters. To the R is a recessed, round-headed loggia with 2-pane window within. The upper floor has 2 small lights, that to the L of 4 panes and that to the R of 6. The rear elevation, facing the estuary, has 3 tall, round headed windows the height of 2 storeys, with a decorative lunette below; this with small flanking lights. To the R is a segmental tunnel arch to the ground floor. This elevation and that to the side (W) have parapets concealing the roof, that to the side elevation with terminating baroque-style volute to the L. The main entrance is on this W side, via an applied baroque wooden doorcase with surmounting cartouche; 12-pane sash to the L with external wooden shutters and Renaissance-style head-plaque above.

Reason for designation

Listed as a distinctive and early village building in Kentish vernacular style; one of a number of buildings and structures designed by the eminent architect and conservationist Sir Clough Williams-Ellis for his visionary Portmeirion villiage.

Group value with other listed items at Portmeirion.