Mermaid
Sleeps 4
Room Layout
Two Twin Rooms Lounge
Two Bathrooms (one ground floor) Kitchen - Diner
Location
Mermaid is situated right at the heart of the Village, and surrounded by the Central Piazza. It has views from the frontof the Dolphin Block and the Estuary. The statue of Hercules is in close proximity. Parking is in Salutation Square.
History
The Mermaid (c. 1850, "Clough-ed up" 1926, listed Grade II 1971)
is one of four buildings in the village to pre-date Clough's
involvement (the others being the Salutation, the Hotel and White
Horses). It was used as a gardener's bothey between 1842 and 1858
and was described in 1861 by Richard Richards (Pen and Ink
Sketches): "I opened a door which led into the garden, [with]a
house in the centre of it...Neither man nor woman was there, only a
number of foreign water-fowl on a tiny pond, and two monkeys, which
by their cries evidently regarded me as an unwelcome intruder."
When Clough found the place in 1925 it had become an overgrown
wilderness which he set about clearing. He "...dolled up the
gardeners bothey, which was pretty dilapidated, in a sort of late
eighteenth-century Gothic mood." Mermaid is a self-catering cottage
sleeping four.
Fronting the Mermaid is a wishing well adorned with a group of
copper dolphins. A slate plaque carries the following dedication:
"The Dolphin Group was presented by the staff of Portmeirion to C
W-E CBE in affectionate regard on the occasion of his 80th
birthday."
Clough added the south facing tent shaped regency canopy supported
on trellaced iron columns as well as the canopy and statue to the
north gable. The term to "Clough-up" was first coined to describe
his treatment of this traditional building, exemplified by these
additions and the use of contrasting colours. The scalloped
barge-boards are original however and were also used on the hotel
building according to early photographs. The white figure is
Charity, a wooden statue of the late seventeenth or early
eighteenth century, possibly by Gabriel Grupello (1644-1730) a
court artist who worked chiefly in Brussels and Dusseldorf.
Immediately behind the Gothic Pavilion is a 17th century statue of
a lion, a 90th birthday present to Clough by his friends in 1973.
The lion was unveiled by Lord Harlech who in his speech welcomed
the whole Portmeirion set-up as a 'Good Thing'. The pedestal bears
an inscription, carved by Jonah Jones: "Presented to Portmeirion
and its Founder, Sir Clough Williams-Ellis, by his friends and
colleagues on his 90th birthday, May 28th 1973."
Click Here for pictures of Mermaid and other Self Catering Cottages