kelem@ucla-cs.UUCP (02/14/85)
I noticed that there were several explanations of where The Village was located. One was correct, one close, and one placed the Village in the wrong country. The Prisoner was filmed at the Italianate village of Portmeirion, county Gwynedd, Wales. Portmeirion is on Cardigan Bay, in Snowdonia National Park, about 8 miles southwest of Blenau Ffestiniog. It's not far from Llanfairpwlgwyngwllgogyrychwyrndrobyllllantysiliogogogoch on the Isle of Anglesey. (remember, in Welsh pronunciation: ll=a mixture of L and TH, w=oo as in "moon", y=short i as in "with".) The village contains a hotel (I stayed on a farmhouse nearby, so I don't know how much it costs to stay there.) that served as the grounds of The Village. The village is beautiful and great fun to run around in after having seen The Prisoner several times. Number 6's quarters are occupied by a shop run by the Six of One Society. One of The Village taxis is owned by the man running the shop and a penny-farthing bicycles is outside Number 6. Souvenirs, pictures, buttons, newsletters, and memberships in the society can be purchased there. Down at the beach is the "stone boat" that showed up in several of the episodes. The "boat" is really an extension of the walkway, built up to make it look like a boat. If you go at low tide, you can see an incredible stretch of sand exposed as the water empties out of the bay. Recommendation: If you're going to Britain, don't skip Wales.