The Campanile or Bell Tower (Welsh: Y Tŵr Clychau) is a prominent structure in the village of Portmeirion, in Gwynedd, northwest Wales. Portmeirion was created as an Italianate village by the architect, Clough Williams-Ellis, who bought the Aber Iâ mansion and its estate in 1925 as the location for his project, building his eccentric, eclectic village between 1925 and 1975.[1] The Campanile is a Grade II* listed building.[2]
| Campanile | |
|---|---|
 Campanile or Bell Tower | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Coordinates | 52°54′47.6″N 04°05′54.5″W / 52.913222°N 4.098472°W |
| Construction started | 1925 |
| Completed | 1928 |
Construction and design
editConstruction of the Campanile started in 1925[3] and was completed in 1928. It used stone from a 12th-century castle, the remains which lay a short distance to the west of the village (and which had been demolished circa 1869).[2] A plaque at the base of the tower ironically reads "This tower, built by Clough Williams-Ellis, architect and publican, embodies stones from the 12th century castle of his ancestor Gruffydd ap Cynan, King of North Wales ...It was finally razed c. 1869 by Sir William Fothergill Cook, inventor of the Electric Telegraph, 'lest the ruins should become known and attract visitors to the place.'"[4]
At seven-storeys in height, Williams-Ellis planned the tower to be the most prominent building and focal point for his new village.[3] Displaying his knowledge of architecture, the tower is in a classical design, similar to the Italian church towers it set out to imitate. The four lower levels are in bare stone and the upper three levels are plastered.[5] The lowest of the plastered levels (level five) has a bell hanging in each of its Serlian window openings.[5] The tower is topped by an octagonal cupola. At the apex of the copper roof is a golden ball and, on top of that, a weather vane.[2]
The tower also includes a clock salvaged from a London brewery, which chimes on the hour. There are clock faces on the east and west of the third level. [2]
Unusually for the Portmeirion buildings, the Campanile was built exactly according to the original design drawings. The plans were exhibited at the 1931 Royal Academy Summer Exhibition.[2]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Portmeirion in 'authentic top 50'". Wales Online. 28 November 2008. Archived from the original on 23 July 2023. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
- ^ a b c d e "Campanile (Also Called The Bell Tower)". British Listed Buildings. Archived from the original on 22 July 2023. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
- ^ a b Jones, Nigel R. (2005). Architecture of England, Scotland, and Wales. Connecticut: Greenwood Press. p. 198. ISBN 978-0313318504. Archived from the original on 9 September 2023. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
- ^ Morris, Jan; Turner, Alwyn W.; Eastment, Mark; Lacey, Stephen; Llywellyn, Robin (2006). Portmeirion. Suffolk/Massachusetts: Antique Collectors Club. p. 224. ISBN 1-85149-522-3.
- ^ a b Haslam, Richard; Orbach, Julian; Voelcker, Adam (2009). Buildings of Wales - Gwynedd. Yale University Press. pp. 693–4. ISBN 978-0-300-14169-6.
External links
edit
Media related to The Campanile, Portmerion at Wikimedia Commons
