Lacock
One of the most beautiful villages in England, Lacock is an ancient place with a lattice work of winding streets lined with Gothic arched greystone houses and half-timbered cottages. None of the buildings date from later than the 18 th century and are maintained in their pristine state by their owners The National Trust.
This fascinating village permits of very few modern intrusions, thereby maintaining the ancient ‘feel' that permeates its every nook and cranny. The village comprises a square of streets, mostly narrow, with only the main High Street wider, which gives a hint of the days when fairs were held there, and of its former prosperity from centuries of wool trading. The High Street is lined on one side with timber-framed cottages and houses; of especial note is the imposing presence of Porch House with a two-storey timber-framed porch that provides its name. Facing it, on the opposite side of the High Street, runs a pleasing array of stone-built cottages; High Street forms one side of a square of streets, each with its own charm.
Every corner turned in Lacock is picturesque, prompting the visitor on to fresh discoveries. The pretty ‘Sign of the Angel', an old inn with an overhanging upper storey, stands in Church Street amongst a cluster of attractively time-worn mellow cottages. An ancient 14 th century tithe barn rubs shoulders with the domed lockup in East Street, whilst the quaint George Inn remains one of the oldest continuously licensed inns in England. Lacock invites exploration of its charms but remains much more than fossilised history; it is a living village in which the local residents take a pride in their heritage in a quietly informal way.
The meandering River Avon forms the boundary to the north side of the churchyard where amusing stone figures cast a downward glance from the Church of St Cyriac. Constructed in the Perpendicular style, the 15 th century church contains many treasures and is well known for the beautiful stained glass east window, for the soaring aisles and for its heraldic work. One of the memorials is a brass dating from the 15 th century dedicated to Robert Baynard and his wife - their 15 children are depicted kneeling. St Cyriac's also gives house-room to the splendid Renaissance-style tomb of Sir William Sharington (1495-1553), one time owner of Lacock Abbey.
To the east of the village, standing serenely in its own grounds is Lacock Abbey, founded in 1232 by Ela Countess of Salisbury as an abbey for Augustinian nuns. Only seven years of age when her father died, she became a ward of Richard the Lionheart who married her to his stepfather William Longsword. The couple conceived several children but William was often away at the wars; after one particularly long absence his death was assumed, although Ela refused to accept his demise. Eventually, he did return only to fall sick and die shortly afterwards, the grieving Ela waited for her sons to come of age before founding Lacock Abbey. She lived for a further 35 years after her husband had passed away.
The 13 th century cloisters, sacristy and the nun's charter house are preserved from Ela's time, though in later centuries there have been changes; Lacock Abbey was the last religious house to be dissolved by Henry VIII. Eventually acquired by Sir William Sharington in 1540, it was converted into a mansion house; he constructed the living quarters around the former nunnery, thereby retaining many of the abbey's original features. Sir William did however, pull down the convent church to build stables on the site and was responsible for erecting the curious octagonal tower overlooking the River Avon. In the 18 th century a later owner, John Ivory Talbot, remodelled the abbey buildings to give a Gothic appearance; the Gothic revival style of architecture was in vogue in the early part of the century. The result is a fascinating blend of architectural evolution culminating in one of England's most beautiful houses.
One of John Talbot's descendants, William Henry Fox Talbot, was an early pioneer of photography who carried out some of his earliest photographic experiments at Lacock Abbey. He constructed his first camera in 1835 and famously took his first photograph that same year from a window in the south gallery of the abbey, for which he was awarded the Royal Society medal. Standing near the abbey gates is a 16 th century barn now converted to house the Fox Talbot Museum; on display within are examples of his work including his first recognisable photograph, his first cameras and calotypes, darkroom equipment and letters, together with international awards.
Lacock Abbey, like most of the village, is owned by the National Trust and is open daily to visitors during the summer season, except on Tuesdays when only the grounds are open - the abbey grounds are famous for the sheets of snowdrops that cover them in early springtime.