The Old Bristol Colonnade now stands in front of the domed Pantheon. It was originally built at Arnos Court, Bristol, in 1760 by William Reeve and was reconstructed at Portmeirion in 1959. The Town Hall (1937-38) or 'Hercules Hall' was designed to house a unique, barrel-vaulted 17th Century Jacobean ceiling, which was salvaged from Emral Hall in Flintshire in 1933.

Over 45 unique buildings are described in the current guidebook to Portmeirion. The construction methods and details were kept as simple as possible in order that each new building could be completed when the hotel was shut between autumn and the following Easter. Sub-tropical gardens known as 'Y Gwyllt' surround the village, encouraged by the warmth of the Gulf Stream, and are now designated as a conservation area.

Portmeirion has had many famous visitors, including Noel Coward, who wrote the play 'Blithe Spirit' there in May 1941. The architect Frank Lloyd Wright visited in 1956 as part of his only visit to his ancestral home, Wales.

In 1966, Patrick McGoohan, the driving force behind the series 'The Prisoner' persuaded Williams-Ellis to allow him to film there. The programme has since become a cult television classic shown in over 60 countries, which has brought attention to the resort from around the world.Patrick McGoohan starred as the central character, 'Number Six': a secret agent held among a brainwashed, captive population by a mysterious regime. The prisoners were known only by numbers and were policed by large balloons that would smother them if they attempted to escape.

Portmeirion provided an ideal backdrop for the surreal programme - Williams-Ellis acknowledged that the series set Portmeirion off to its best advantage.The programme's cult status was confirmed by the establishment of the official Prisoner Appreciation Society in the 1970's. The location also lent itself as the backdrop to the Dr Who story, 'Masque of Mandragora,' in 1976. More...