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​There’s A ‘Hidden’ Village In UK That Looks Like Italy

​There’s A ‘Hidden’ Village In UK That Looks Like Italy

With international travel still restricted due to the pandemic, many Brits are looking closer to home for fun day trips and holidays

Jess Hardiman

Jess Hardiman

A TikToker has shared a tip-off about a 'hidden village' in the UK that looks like it's set in the heart of the Mediterranean. Check it out below:

With international travel still restricted due to the pandemic, many Brits are looking closer to home for fun day trips and holidays this summer.

And while a trip to the local seaside may not be quite the same as a sun-soaked Greek getaway or a fortnight beside the pool in Ibiza, there is a way to channel the Continent without jumping on a plane.

In Wales, there's a village that was specifically designed to emulate the Italian Riviera - and as you can imagine, it's pretty stunning.

Sharing a video of the spot on TikTok, user @bymeera5xo said: "Did you know there is a hidden village in the UK that looks like Italy?

Jam Press

"It's called Portmeirion and it's in Wales."

In another video, @bymeera5x0 responded to a hater who said they'd been and found it 'boring', sharing more highlights from their trip to show off the village with photos of colourful buildings and beautiful views.

Portmeirion is located on a peninsula in north Wales, and overlooks an estuary.

Jam Press

It was built by Sir Clough Williams-Ellis, who was inspired by the bright colours and architecture of the Italian Riviera, having created a stunning piazza as its central feature.

The Portmeirion website says: "The concept of a tightly grouped coastal village had been envisaged by Clough Williams-Ellis years before he found the site, close to his own home in North Wales, on which he managed to realise his dream.

"Portmeirion has become known as one of the most successful British architectural projects of the twentieth century.

Jam Press

"Using an eco-friendly approach, he designed his architectural vision around a Mediterranean piazza.

"Endangered buildings and unwanted artefacts from all over the globe were transported and rebuilt to create a nest of loggias, grand porticoes and tiny terracotta-roofed houses, painted in bright colours.

"The village was built over two phases, 1926 - 1939 and 1954 - 1976 by which time Clough was well into his 90s.

"Most buildings were designed and built by Clough but a few were transported from elsewhere such as the Town Hall, the Bristol Colonnade, and the facade of the Dome, originally the upper part of a Norman Shaw fireplace."

PA
PA

The village is also well-known as the location for the 1960s cult TV series The Prisoner.

To visit Portmeirion, people have to book ahead via the website, with day tickets costing £14 for adults, £12 for concessions and £9 for children, while under-fives go free.

You can book tickets here.

Featured Image Credit: Jam Press

Topics: UK News, News, travel, Holiday, TikTok