@RUTGERS.ARPA:malis@bbnccs (02/09/85)
From: Andrew Malis <malis@BBNCCS.ARPA> The Prisoner's village is actually a resort in Wales. It is the Hotel Portmeirion, in Penrhyndeudraeth, Wales. It is credited at the end of (at least) the final show, and it was included in an article about Wales several years ago in Travel & Leisure (I think I have it saved somewhere, but it would take me a while to dig it out). If you want to find it on a map, it is on Tremadoc Bay, and is close to Portmadoc. I've always wanted to visit there ever since I saw the original broadcasts of the show, but have never made it, even though I have been to Wales (so close, and yet so far). Unfortunately, I heard that they had a major fire several years ago, but I think they rebuilt and restored the place. I would be interested in hearing from anyone reading this that has actually be there. Andy
barryg@sdcrdcf.UUCP (Lee Gold) (02/11/85)
Barry and I stayed at Portmeirion for two nights back in 1971. This thing started as one man's private project for old buildings he considered too beautiful to be torn down. He purchased them and had them moved to some land he owned in Wales. Later on he opened it to day-trippers, while allowing friends to stay over. Still later on it became a hotel. When we were there, you had to stay at least three nights to qualify for a cottage (the sort of place #6, etc.) were in. Others stayed in the hotel which had 18 rooms (numbered 1,2,3A,4,5,3,7...18). (No, I don't know whether there was originally a room #6.) It was a VERY posh place. The towels were hung on a heated rack. There was one room with a roaring fire and bound volumes of punch from the turn of the century. Each guestroom had a table assigned to it in the dining room, and you could order your meal ahead of time and specify the hour you'd be down --to find the first course there a few seconds after you sat down. One thing that amazed us was how much the cinematographers had rearranged the place's geogaphy. For instance, the stone boat only has sand around it when the tide is out on the estuary. The green dome is only a few yards in diameter. It's not on the ocean but on a tidal estuary of a river. Stuff like that. We found the establishment VERY cooperative. When we left they booked us a taxi ride to the train station, then suggeted a nice restaurant we could have dinner at that night in London -- and phoned in a reservation for us. And then explained this was normal hotel courtesy and there would be no charge for the calls. --Lee Gold
ckuppe@spock.UUCP (Charles A. Kupperman '87 ) (02/19/85)
The Village, as it was called, is indeed PortMeiron. A long and very pictorial essay on this village was included in a previous issue of the American journal "Fantasy Empire." This village was also used for the filming of the Dr. Who classic, "Masque of Mandragora."