Portmeirion: A Review

First of all, let me say that the night before, I saw 'Much Ado About Nothing' at the Globe Theater. So anything that followed that was going to suffer in comparison.

If you're a fan of the quirky 60s show, 'The Prisoner,' then a visit to Portmeirion on the western coast of Wales has to be on your bucket list. That being said, you cannot go into your journey expecting too much.

First of all, it's a difficult journey. From London, expect a trip of 5-6 hours, excluding a layover at Birmingham station. (Be careful to be in the right car, because the route splits.) The long part of the trip will be along the Welsh coast, where there are easily 15 stops. Then, if you elect to stay in Porthmadog (I imagine there are more places to stay here than in smallish Minfford), you'll need to tack on an extra hour or so taking the train to Minfford. This can be pleasant, because the view is nice, and it is a narrow-gauge rail which has a lot of steam train traffic on it. In fact, you can continue on this train throughout picturesque Wales and the Snowdonia Park.

Then, you have a good mile walk (rent a car!) through a frustratingly poorly-marked park surrounding Portmeirion. By the time you get to The Village, you will completely understand why Number 6 never tried to escape via land.

As for the village itself, you will see many of the familiar sites of the show, although it will seem far more cramped, and the geography of the place will be confusing. Also, most of the place is off-limits to tourists, as a large portion consists of private residences and hotels.

Fans of the show will be disappointed that nearly everything Prisoner-related has been scrubbed from the attraction, save for a Prisoner Shop tucked away in what was reputed to have been Number 6's residence...although this last bit is a fabrication. No way. If I could post pictures, you would see what I mean.

I probably was poisoned by my affection for the show, but knowing that many people share my perspectives, I thought it was important to put this out there. All I'm saying is, that unlike the vast majority of places I've been to in the UK, I was underwhelmed. Doc Martin's Port Isaac was superior in nearly every respect.

Portmeirion can be done in 1-2 hours, unless you are there to sketch or paint. Go after 3:30 in order to get the half-price admission, and you will still have several hours to enjoy it. Nearby (well, in the area, anyway) is a castle/hotel that is of local interest, and if you have a vehicle, you might want to travel to the other side of the estuary and visit Harlech Castle, one of the most important fortifications in Wales.