The Gothic Pavilion

The Gothic Pavilion (1965, listed Grade II 1971) was built to front the Gloriette beyond its pool and fountain. This, like the Gloriette was built from salvaged material. Clough writes: "This was a generous gift to me from Nerquis Hall in Flintshire, where as a porte cochere it was deemed to be an excrescence on an otherwise distinguished and authentic Jacobean facade - as indeed it was." Unfortunately the pavilion was badly damaged during its dismantling. "In fact...had I not been blessed with inspired masons, I should have just heaped the pieces into a rockery and tried - if I could - to forgive the negligent demolition contractors and to forget the fiasco. As it was, we went bravely ahead, and in the end built up, not the original portico, but an amended version which with its more attenuated proportions and slender pinnacles is generally held to have gained in elegance whatever it may have lost in authenticity. A pair of barley twist teak columns support painted metal cutouts, which, like the Onion Dome were to be viewed from the front only. The lawn in front of the Gothic Pavilion is where the human chess game was played in 'The Prisoner' through laying white squares on the grass.

Clough dedicated the Gothic Pavilion to William Maddocks and erected a plaque to this effect in 1973: "This re-erected Gothick Porch from Nerquis Hall aptly commemorates William Maddocks 1773-1828 who loved this region and strove mightily to increase its fame and its prosperity. Portmeirion hereby acknowledges her debt to this man of vigorous virtue."