Toll House (Including Pilot House)

Cadw's description

Location

Occupying the eastern side of Battery Square.

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.

Toll House was built in 1929 as one of the first of the Battery Square group. Conceived in loose Kentish vernacular style, the building originally marked the eastern extent of the village and as such acted as a gate lodge and toll house for visitors; a bell was in place to summon the gate keeper and a blue and white striped barrier was formerly provided to restrict access. A metal painted sign in the form of a sheep was added in 1957; it was made by Susan Williams-Ellis to designs by her father, Sir Clough Williams-Ellis.

Pilot House, adjoining Toll House, was added in 1930 to link the latter with Battery.

Exterior

Three-storey house partly of weather-boarded, timber-framed construction with jettied upper storeys and rendered, stepped gable chimney to the L. The ground floor has a bowed, small-pane shop window of Georgian character with flanking 6-pane glazed doors Above this is an iron-railed balcony to the first floor, with 16-pane French windows giving access to the centre. Paired 8-pane casement to the second floor with external slatted shutters. The left-hand (NW) corner has a rendered, turret-like projection to the ground floor surmounted by a railed semi-circular platform. This contains a polychromed life-sized statue of St. Peter in the act of preaching; there is a sloped octagonal canopy over the figure and a painted wrought-iron hanging sign to the front. Between this conical turret and the projecting chimney breast on the gable end is an incorporated shelter with lean-to roof. The chimney itself is pierced on the ground floor by an arched, small-pane window; applied relief plaque above. To the L of the chimney a flight of steps with attendant parapet slopes up in an L-plan to a tall arched entrance with lower arched, boarded door. A wide arch joins Toll House to Bridge House beyond. Rising up beyond the roof-line to the rear is a flat-roofed boarded lookout.

To the rear adjoins Pilot House. This is a 2-storey weather-boarded block with wide, horizontal, metal-framed windows to both floors facing out across the estuary.

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.