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.

Built 1966-7 to plans dated April and June 1966. Captain Henry Winch was a neighbour and friend of Sir Clough's and the latter had for some years been planning a studio cottage for him.

Exterior

Two-storey villa-scale building with rendered elevations and hipped, pantiled roof. The front elevation (facing SE) is symmetrical and consists of an advanced 2-bay central section with broad single flanking bays; stucco pilasters define the sections and the central part has a moulded parapet with urn finials to R and L; 12-pane sashes to both floors, with trompe l'oeil oculi below the parapet. Tripartite windows to the outer bays on the first floor, with 12-pane sashes having 8-pane narrow outer lights. Those to the ground-floor however, have part-glazed doors in place of windows in the centre. All ground floor openings have segmental plaster arches. A parapetted stair curves up to the L giving access to a first floor entrance on the side (SW) elevation. The entrance has a part-glazed door with flanking lights in a tripartite arrangement and is recessed within a balconied loggia. This sits above a ground floor recessed balcony with similar door arrangement and contained within a wide depressed arch. A short section of link wall with arch connects Villa Winch to Chantry at the SE corner.

There is a balustraded terrace in front of the main elevation.

Reasons for Listing

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.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q29503736

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  London 3: North West: North West v. 3 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Maintaining and Repairing Old Houses: A Guide to Conservation, Sustainability and Economy
• 
  Kent: North East and East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  The green guide for historic buildings: how to improve the environmental performance of listed and historic buildings
• 
  Cumbria: Cumberland, Westmorland and Furness (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Pevsner's Architectural Glossary (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)