The Village Of Lacock In North Wiltshire

Lacock is a charming rural village not far from Chippenham in North Wiltshire. It dates back to the 13th century and is owned by the National Trust. It has picturesque streets and beautiful half-timbered, limewashed houses and is therefore well worth a visit.

Lacock was a small Saxon settlement that rose to fame in later years. It did very well in the Middle Ages because of its wool industry. The village was well positioned on the ‘cloth road’ from London and the sea was easily accessible via the River Avon. After the wool industry declined, Lacock survived as a staging post with its many inns being very popular. More recently, the village has been used for TV and film productions such as Pride and Prejudice, Harry Potter, Moll Flanders and Emma because it has largely been visually untouched by the modern world.

The famous Abbey in the village was founded by the Countess of Salisbury, Ela, wife of the illegitimate son of Henry II. It is at the heart of the village and has lovely wooded grounds. The cloisters are attractive and the monastic rooms and chapter house are definately worth a visit. If you visit in spring, the flowers in the grounds give a wonderful display. The grounds also contain a ha-ha, a Victorian rose garden and an 18th century summer house. Throughout the year there are various events so check before you go if you want to catch something extra on your visit.

Lacock has The Museum of Photography, dedicated to William Fox Talbot, the notable photographer. Fox Talbot lived in the Abbey and is known to have added the latticed windows that he then photographed. The image can still be viewed today. His experiments with photographic processes in 1840 led to the discovery of the negative-positive process. This was used widely for many years until digital photography started to take over more recently. He died in 1877.

Interesting rural events happen in the village throughout the year. An annual scarecrow festival is held that is fun to see. A theme will be set and villagers create scarecrows in a bid to be declared the best. The creations are inventive and brighten up the village for a short time.

The George Inn is famous. It is a lovely pub. Interestingly, it has a turnspit-dog wheel that used specially bred dogs running inside it to power the inn’s meat spit. The dogs had short legs and long bodies and are now extinct. The wheel is still in the pub and is a popular attraction, along with the food and real ale.

Lacock is a beautiful village that is unlike others. If you want a relaxed day in this lovely area, why not make a day of it.

If you are looking for what’s on in Wiltshire, things to do and places to see, don’t forget to make Lacock one of your Wiltshire destinations. It is also not far from the lovely city of Salisbury so if you want to check out this medieval city, find a Salisbury hotel and you can explore both Salisbury and Lacock from the same base.