Activity 1

Before you read, match the word or phrase to a definition.

1. eccentric 2. campaigned 3. in ruins

4. rescued 5. mild 6. setting
a. destroyed; badly damaged
b. fought; worked for a political goal
c. gentle; moderate
d. location; site
e. saved; moved out of danger
f. slightly strange; different

Portmeirion – a hidden
tourist treasure
Portmeirion
© VisitBritain / Britain on View

By Julie Mason

Hidden treasure Activity 3

When you take a trip to Britain, what do you visit? You probably start in London
and then go on a day trip to Oxford or Stratford-upon-Avon. If you’ve got time, Read the text and decide if the following sentences are true or false. Can you
you might go up to Scotland, but not many foreign tourists have been to the little correct the false ones?
village of Portmeirion in north-west Wales.
1. Portmeirion is a popular tourist destination with foreign visitors.
Portmeirion 2. It is in north-west England.
Portmeirion was built in the style of an Italian village by the eccentric architect 3. There are cafés and restaurants in the village.
Clough Williams-Ellis. It has a beautiful position on a hill overlooking the coast. 4. Clough Williams-Ellis studied architecture at Cambridge.
Visitors can stay in one of the apartments in the village or just visit for the day to 5. He also worked to protect the countryside of North Wales.
see the wonderful architecture, have a snack or a meal, visit the shops and walk 6. In 1925, Portmeirion was in perfect condition.
around the beautiful gardens. 7. Williams-Ellis saved old buildings and rebuilt them in Portmeirion.
The architect 8. The weather in Portmeirion is very cold in winter.
Clough Williams-Ellis was born in England in 1883. He studied natural sciences 9. There are dogs buried in the gardens.
at Cambridge University but gave up and went to work for an architect instead. 10. One of the Beatles visited Portmeirion.
He worked as an architect for most of his life, but he also campaigned hard to
protect the environment, particularly in North Wales. He died in April 1978 at the
age of 94.
A brief history Activity 4
Clough bought the site for the village in 1925. It was relatively cheap because
the buildings which were there at the time were in ruins. His goal was to show In the text we are told that Portmeirion has a dogs’ cemetery. Do you
that you could develop a site without losing its natural beauty. Many old statues remember when we use an apostrophe in English? Do this exercise to see if
and buildings were rescued and brought to North Wales, so Clough described you can put one apostrophe in the correct place in each sentence:
Portmeirion as ‘a home for fallen buildings’. He worked on and off on the project
1. Cloughs goal was to build a village without damaging the environment.
until 1975.
2. Before becoming an architect, hed studied at Cambridge University.
The gardens 3. Visitors apartments can be rented in the village.
The village is surrounded by woodlands. Because of its protected position 4. Not many tourists have heard of Portmeirion, but its a great place to
between two rivers, the climate of Portmeirion is very mild and subtropical plants visit.
can grow there. As well as the exotic plants, a walk through the gardens takes you 5. Stratford-upon-Avon is famous as Shakespeares birthplace.
past lakes, pagodas, statues and even a dogs’ cemetery. 6. If you visit Portmeirion, you mustnt miss the beautiful gardens.
Famous visitors 7. Most tourists plans include a visit to London, Oxford and Stratford.
Although not well known outside Wales, Portmeirion has had a series of famous 8. After reading this text, Id like to visit Portmeirion.
visitors, including the American actor Gregory Peck and Paul McCartney of the
Beatles. But Portmeirion is perhaps best known as being the setting for a 1960s
spy drama called ‘The Prisoner’. Fans of the show still visit the village, which holds
annual ‘Prisoner’ events and even has a ‘Prisoner’ souvenir shop. Activity 5
With so many attractions, how long will this little treasure continue to be ‘hidden’?
Would you like to visit Portmeirion?
Do you have any ‘hidden’ treasures in your home country – tourist sites that
Activity 2 are not very well known? What is special about them? Can you explain why
they are not more famous?
Now complete the sentences using words and phrases from the text.
If you worked for a tourist organisation, how would you advertise your hidden
1. I thought the weather would be really cold in London at Christmas, but treasure?
in fact it was very (..........).
2. The firemen (..........) ten people from the burning building.
3. The (..........) for the Shakespeare play ’Romeo and Juliet’ is in northern
Italy.
4. My friend likes to eat chips with honey, but I think that’s a bit (..........).
5. Barack Obama (..........) hard to win the American elections.
9. T - There’s a dogs’ cemetery; 10. T - Paul McCartney visited Portmeirion
7. T - They were rescued and brought to North Wales; 8. F - It’s mild;
6. After the terrible storm, the little village was left (..........). 5. T - He campaigned to protect the environment; 6. F - Portmeirion was in ruins;
3. True (T) - You can have a snack or a meal; 4. F - He studied natural sciences;
1. False (F) - Not many people have heard of Portmeirion; 2. F - It’s in north-west Wales;
8. After reading this text, I’d like to visit Portmeirion. Activity 3
7. Most tourists’ plans include a visit to London, Oxford and Stratford. 1. mild; 2. rescued; 3. setting; 4. eccentric; 5. campaigned; 6. in ruins
6. If you visit Portmeirion, you mustn’t miss the beautiful gardens.
5. Stratford-upon-Avon is famous as Shakespeare’s birthplace. Activity 2
4. Not many tourists have heard of Portmeirion, but it’s a great place to visit. 1. f; 2. b; 3. a; 4. e; 5. c; 6. d
3. Visitors’ apartments can be rented in the village.
2. Before becoming an architect, he’d studied at Cambridge University. Activity 1
1. Clough’s goal was to build a village without damaging the environment.
Activity 4
Answers

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