Comments on: The Bristol Colonnade, Portmeirion, Gwynedd

By: Editor

Editor — Sat, 14 Feb 2026 16:31:22 +0000

In reply to Michael. Hello Michael. Very pleased to hear that my post helped with your own telling of the story.

By: Michael

Michael — Sat, 14 Feb 2026 14:36:15 +0000

Thanks a lot for this great insight into the history of the Bristol colonnade which helped me a lot for my blog article about Portmeirion. You can find it on my SCRITTI.blog

By: Editor

Editor — Mon, 12 May 2025 05:31:16 +0000

In reply to Chris Cooper. Good morning Chris and thanks for getting in touch. Happily the colonnade didn't go to America, and as you saw it looks very handsome in its new home in Wales. Lovely that you bumped into W-E in his 'uniform' of plus fours. Plas Brondanw is a lovely tranquil contrast to Portmeirion and I am looking forward to revisiting both this summer.

By: Chris Cooper

Chris Cooper — Sun, 11 May 2025 23:03:34 +0000

An interesting article, thank you. I have a connection to the Bristol Colonade having spent my childhood living 10 mins walk from where it used to stand at Arnos Court. I was around 11 when it was dismantled, I remember thinking it must have been bought by an American to re-erect on his ranch or some such. It wasn’t until maybe 25 years later while on holiday in the area with my son and visiting P M, I came across it again, I couldn’t believe my eyes. Some years later, I emailed P M to check that my memory of the ‘re-discovery’ of the Colonade wasn’t a figment of my imagination. They replied at length confirming what I had remembered.
Incidentally I met Williams-Ellis in the mid 1970s while I was visiting a friend who was their house-keeper. I was looking around the garden of Plas Brondanw when this tall, slender gentleman wearing plus fours & deer stalker asked who I was. I told and he walked off.

By: Moira

Moira — Tue, 07 May 2024 16:46:11 +0000

In reply to Editor. It had a real cult following in its time i.e. when it first came out, in my youth

By: Editor

Editor — Tue, 07 May 2024 15:01:43 +0000

In reply to Moira Garland. Hello Moira. I confess to never having seen The Prisoner. Many. many years ago a family friend went on a cruise and brought me back a signed photo of Patrick McGoohan, who must have been a fellow passenger, and I never had the heart to admit that I had no idea who he was.

By: Moira Garland

Moira Garland — Tue, 07 May 2024 08:55:47 +0000

In reply to Garance Rawinsky.

By: Moira Garland

Moira Garland — Tue, 07 May 2024 08:54:55 +0000

In reply to Gand. I cannot separate a visit to Portmeirion many years ago, which was delightful, from avidly watching 'The Prisoner' on TV even longer ago. It was only when visiting that I realised that's where it was filmed!

By: Editor

Editor — Mon, 06 May 2024 12:43:29 +0000

In reply to Julia Abel Smith. Hello Julia. Yes, the village has so many architectural fragments, each with a fascinating story to tell. There is far too much to take in on one visit (especially with rain pouring down) so I plan to return as soon as I find a moment.

By: Julia Abel Smith

Julia Abel Smith — Mon, 06 May 2024 09:49:18 +0000

Thank you so much, FF.
Another piece of architectural salvage was The Pantheon at Portmeirion. Its porch was originally part of the vast fireplace in the picture gallery of short-lived Dawpool, Richard Norman Shaw’s house on the Wirral for Sir Thomas Ismay, founder of The White Star Line.
The fireplace front was re-erected at The Pantheon by Clough Williams-Ellis in 1957; it is similar to that at Cragside, Northumberland.