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Wiltshire is famous for its prehistoric monuments, from the world-famous Stonehenge to Salisbury hill and Old Sarum. Go forward a little further in time, and you’ll also find Wiltshire is home to plenty of more modern English historical sites, one of them being Lacock Abbey. Explore a stunning country house once, tranquil woodland grounds and a fascinating museum in this fantastic family day out!
Lacock Abbey was officially founded by Ela, Countess of Salisbury nearly 800 years ago in 1232! Since then, the Abbey has survived a tumultuous English history, from being shut down in the monastic dissolution by King Henry VIII, Tudor takeovers, Gothic redecorations, all the way up to being the site of the birthplace of photography!
In 1835, William Henry Fox Talbot was frustrated with his inability to draw and sought a way to ‘fix’ his images. Through this endeavour, Lacock Abbey was established as the birthplace of photography, where Talbot created the first ever photographic negative. Explore the story of it’s creation and how it forever changed the way we see the world in the Fox Talbot Museum. Here, you can learn the chemistry behind the early processes of photography, see important artefacts, and enjoy a host of contemporary photography exhibitions.
The Abbey has architectural quirks that you won’t find anywhere else, built on the foundations of a nunnery and having undergone various decorations throughout the ages, taking in the dramatic atmosphere of the medieval rooms and cloister court.
Being the birthplace of photography, it’s no wonder that Lacock has been the site of a variety of famous films and TV series, including Harry Potter! Any fans of the Harry Potter franchise, Downtown Abbey, or Pride and Prejudice will instantly recognise the abbey and village. The Abbey has stood in for the famous school of Hogwarts on multiple occasions, and played a vital role in the final series and movie of Downtown Abbey. Any film or TV fan will certainly be in their element at Lacock!
If you want to get outdoors, Lacock is also the perfect place to do it. Take a stroll through the romantic woodland gardens where you’ll find an array of colourful plant life, find a perfect spot for a picnic among the wildflowers at the orchard, or admire the Mediterranean plants of the Cloister and Abbey borders. There are also plenty of refreshing walks to take around Lacock, where you can enjoy a variety of wildlife and tune yourself in to the sounds and sights of nature – explore a medieval village, walk alongside the riverside, or get panoramic views of beautiful rolling hills down the Lover’s Walk.
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