Lacock is a fabulous village and entirely owned by the National Trust, which protects it from being built on or changed in anyway. The village dates back to the Doomsday book and was fully established in the 13th Century. The village was overseen by Lacock Abbey, which was built in 1232. The Abbey survived the dissolution of the Catholic church by Henry VIII in the 16th Century, as it was bought by a wealthy owner who stayed loyal to the crown and saved it from destruction.
Today the abbey is open to visitors and also includes the photographic museum. In the 19th century the abbey was owned by William Fox-Talbot. He was the pioneer of in photography, by transferring the image from a negative onto paper.
Lacock and the abbey have been used for many period dramas and movies. Most famously for many scenes and village locations in the Harry Potter franchise. There are displays in the abbey of where filming took place. Other locations around the village can be seen as well.
The village is a filmmaker’s dream, looking like any village would have looked over the last 800 years. No modern day signs. No electric streetlights and easy to turn back time by covering the current roads with dirt.
The last owner of the abbey and village gave the village and all within to The National Trust in 1944.
The houses in the village are a mix from all periods over 600 years between the 13th and 18th century. Nothing has been built in the old village for over 200 years.
Walk around the 4 streets set in a square pattern, with small local craft shops, tea rooms, pubs and historical building, making it a must-see place.
The oldest pub dates to 1361 and has a very unique dog wheel inside. Check it out. The Tithe Barn is over 800 years old. Marvel at the structure of the roof from inside. It was a place where villages would settle their taxes. Joined to the barn is the village lock up. Not somewhere you’d want to spend the night after being a drunken nuisance. There is also a 14th century church in the village.
