Visit the Historic Village of Lacock

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post, I paid for this trip myself. All recommendations are my own.

Lacock historic village is in the beautiful county of Wiltshire and has been the filming location of many famous films and TV shows including:

• Several of the Harry Potter movies – Lacock Abbey features as Hogwarts, and amongst the rooms you will find the classrooms of Professors McGonagall, Quirrel and Snape’s. In the village is a house that was used as Harry’s childhood home, and is the place where Voldemort kills Lily Potter in front of Harry.
• Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
• Tess of the d’Urbervilles – which features Dame Judi Dench at her best. Interesting fact – the snow scene was created with artificial snow, which then washed away in the rain and had to be recreated again.
• The Other Boleyn Girl
• The White Princess – Fun fact: The ford that the cavalry charged through had to be laid with astroturf to keep the horses safe.
• Downton Abbey – Church Street was set dressed to become the fatstock show in Downton Abbey. Filming was put on hold for 45 minutes when a tour guide decided to run their tour through the middle of the film set.
• Jane Austin’s Emma and my all time favourite Pride and Prejudice. If you love Pride and Prejudice as much as I do, then check out my post Visit the Filming Locations of BBC’s 1995 Pride and Prejudice TV Mini-Series.

Despite all the filming that goes on here, Lacock is a real village that people live in! The residents must be very patient, because this place is flooded with tourists every day. I’ve been slowly making my way around all of the wonderful filming locations of my favourite TV series the BBC’s Pride and Prejudice, and Lacock was the final one on the list. Lacock features as the town of Merytown where the Bennet sisters visit and share the latest gossip from Aunt Philips, shopping for bonnets and ribbons, and trying to capture the officers’ attention, including that of Mr Wickham. The roads of Lacock are tarseal, but for filming they were covered in soil and grass.

We headed down to Wiltshire on the August Bank Holiday weekend and stayed on the edge of Lacock village. The village is in a lovely location and surrounded in beautiful countryside. The village is entirely owned by the National Trust which is why it is so perfectly preserved. You don’t have to pay to enter the village, but the car park is run by the National Trust so is free for members, but a fee applies for non-members.

The evening we arrived, we walked over to explore the village. By this time, most of the tourists had gone. It was a lovely, peaceful evening as we strolled through the streets lined with quaint stone cottages. Most of the surviving buildings in the village are 18th century or earlier in construction. The oldest house dates before the 13th century abbey. Strolling through the streets makes you feel like you have stepped back in time. It’s a shame that the streets are lined with parked cars as it does ruin the ambience somewhat, but I had to remind myself that this isn’t a film set, it is a working village. We spent some time visiting the shops and also visited the cemetery.

There are several pubs, restaurants and cafe’s and some lovely shops as well, but much of it closes when the tourists leave in the early evening, so we planned to visit the following day. However, the weather had other ideas. A cyclone swept through and brought with it high winds and heavy, sheeting rain. We were stuck inside our accommodation most of the day, but we eventually ventured out to The Red Lion pub in Lacock village for a Sunday lunch. Thankfully we managed to find a table but I would definitely recommend making a reservation as the pubs get packed with tourist groups.

After lunch we headed out to visit Lacock Abbey and The Fox Talbot Museum. You need to pay to enter these attractions but it is free for National Trust members. The museum celebrates the achievements of the former Lacock resident, William Henry Fox Talbot. In 1835, Fox Talbot created the first ever photographic negative. It was taken of a small window at his Lacock Abbey home. The museum tells of the history of photography from Fox Talbot through to present day. It also has a collection of historical photographs and whilst we were there it also had an exhibition showcasing various photographers work.

From the museum, we walked up the driveway to visit Lacock Abbey which has a long and interesting history. Its foundations date back to the 1200’s. It was originally owned by one of the most powerful women of the middle ages, Ela Countess of Salisbury. However, it was demolished and replaced in the 1400’s. We visited the medieval monastic cloister and rooms which were used in the scenes of Pride and Prejudice and Harry Potter. In the 1500’s the Abbey was transformed into what you see today by the Tudor courtier, Sir William Sharington. He purchased the abbey after the Dissolution of the monasteries and turned it into his country house. Thankfully he incorporated the cloister into the design of his home so we can still enjoy it today. He also added Italian inspired Renaissance architecture including the octagonal tower.

The house is huge and we spent quite a lot of time exploring it. It is a mix of styles thanks to the different influences of the families that have lived in it over time. For example, in the 1700’s, John Ivory Talbot inherited Lacock, He was inspired by the Gothick style and spent over 58 years transforming both the abbey and its grounds. Keep an eye out for the stunning entrance arch and Great Hall.

In the 1800’s, William Henry Fox Talbot and his family lived in the abbey and decorated it in Victorian style. They remodelled the South Gallery including the window where he captured his famous image. The home you see today is just as he left it. In 1916 Matilda Talbot inherited Lacock and during times of hardship she sold some of the abbey’s collection to improve the homes of her tenants in Lacock village. Eventually she gave the estate to the National Trust in 1944.

After exploring the house, we headed out to take a walk around the grounds of the Abbey. Thankfully the rain had finally begun to ease. In the courtyard there is a little cafe and some outbuildings that we explored. We then headed over to the visit the beautiful cottage style garden, woodland, and fields where sheep were grazing.

After exploring the abbey and its grounds, we headed back to the village for a final stroll. There’s lots to discover in Lacock village with its quaint traditional stone cottages, old workhouse, medieval tithe barn, the village church and the old lock-up. The lock-up was used to temporarily detain people, usually drunks. After spending a few days in the lock-up, they would be brought before the local magistrate.

Practical Tips for Visiting Lacock

• How long should I visit Lacock for? You could visit the sights and attractions covered in this post in a half day visit.
• Getting to Lacock: We drove to Lacock and there is a large car park by the village which is run by the National Trust. It’s free for members, but pay and display for everyone else. Street parking is only for the villagers, visitors must use the car park. If you cycle to Lacock, there are cycle racks by The Red Lion pub. You can also get to Lacock by train, but it requires a little bit of planning. Either get off at Melksham station which is 3 miles away or Chippenham which is 3½ miles away. You can then get a bus from Chippenham or Melksham train station to Lacock.
• Tours: You can also visit Lacock on a tour:
  • Private Harry Potter Movie Sites from London: Oxford and Lacock
  • Stonehenge, Windsor and Bath with Pub Lunch in Lacock
  • Inner Circle Access of Stonehenge including Bath and Lacock Day Tour from London
  • Full-Day Tour of Stonehenge, Bath, Lacock, and Avebury from London
  • Small Group Bath Avebury and Lacock Full-Day Tour from London
• Language: English
• Currency: British pound. There is no cash machine/ATM in the village. However, shops typically take card.
• Tipping: Not required, but people usually round up.
• Electricity: The electrical current is 230 volts AC. Wall outlets take a three pronged plug only used in the United Kingdom and Ireland. However, you are better off purchasing a worldwide adaptor that can be used in the United Kingdom as well other countries. At least then you can potentially get some further use out of it on future vacations. If you’re taking a number of electronics with you, then I would recommend purchasing a couple of these adaptors.
• Driving: In the UK they drive on the left hand side of the road with speed signs in miles per hour (mph).
• Navigating: We used Google’s free Offline Maps. Google Offline Maps allows you to access free maps for navigating that can be used offline i.e. you don’t need WIFI, data, or roaming to be able to use them. Follow my detailed guide on how to use Googles Offline Maps.
  • Using your phone as a GPS will drain your battery quickly, so use a portable battery charger which you can use to charge your phone and any other USB chargeable devices.
  • If you prefer a paper map, then purchase a road map before you go. At least it’s reliable and won’t run out of battery or malfunction like the electronic options!

If you are holidaying in Wiltshire, then I also recommend visiting the nearby Cotswold’s historic village of Castle Combe. Its referred to as the prettiest village in England and has also been a filming location for movies such as Stardust and War Horse. Wiltshire is also home to the world famous Stonehenge. Read my detailed guide to visiting Stonehenge to plan your visit. A short drive away is  also the World Heritage Site of Avebury and its Neolithic henge monument that contains three stone circles.

Accommodation Options in and Around Lacock

Search available accommodation in Lacock

Budget

There is no budget accommodation in Lacock, but there are some cheaper accommodation options nearby

• The Potting Shed
• Heavenly Retreat
• The Kings Arms Hotel

Moderate

• Spire View – We stayed here
• Damson Cottage

Stay in the heart of Lacock village!

• Snoozums at No 11
• The Red Lion

Luxury

• The Old Chapel, Lacock
• Sign of the Angel