This exploration of Lacock Abbey and the surrounding village has also been adapted into a documentary-style video: Watch on YouTube.
Lacock – the Medieval monastery
Lacock Abbey was founded in 1232 by Ela, Countess of Salisbury, who later became its first abbess. After the death of her husband, William Longespée, 3rd Earl of Salisbury, in 1226, Ela served as High Sheriff of Wiltshire before eventually becoming a nun. She became abbess of Lacock in 1240. Ela seems to have been a formidable medieval woman.
Much of the original abbey from its time as a convent still survives today, particularly the cloisters and adjoining rooms. These spaces are strangely quiet and deeply atmospheric. Walking through them, you can almost imagine the nuns carrying out their daily routines or pausing in silent contemplation. I would go as far as saying that the very design of the buildings to engage the senses, and prompt quiet contemplation.
Lacock – the Tudor residential home
The days of the Abbey as a convent did not however last. The abbey was dissolved after King Henry VIII broke from the Catholic Church and was purchased by Sir William Sharington. Sir William Sharington a merchant, Master of the Bristol Mint and courtier to Henry VIII.
Sir William Sharington converted the former convent into a family residence and, in doing so, demolished the abbey church. However, he left much of the monastic complex untouched, including the cloisters and basement rooms, preferring instead to build around them. His additions included a three-storey octagonal tower and a large stable yard, both of which still survive today.
Despite, arguably being a man of good architectural taste, Sir William Sharington was not clear of controversy. In his position as Master, he was found to have defrauded the Bristol Mint by making coins too light and minting more than had been ordered. Activity which could have been partly attributed to anxiety over the costs of development at Lacock.
Lacock – A place of science
Moving on in time to the industrial era, Henry Fox Talbot inherited Lacock Abbey and lived there from 1827. A scientist, inventor and polymath, Talbot created an image of the window in the South Gallery at Lacock in 1835, known as The Latticed Window.
This image is considered as possibly the earliest surviving photographic negative made using a camera. To create the image, Talbot coated ordinary writing paper in a solution of sodium chloride (table salt) before brushing it with silver nitrate, producing a layer of light-sensitive silver chloride. The paper darkened where light struck it, particularly around the window panes, creating the characteristic inverted negative image. To prevent further darkening, he washed the paper in a salt solution.
The surrounding landscape and the stable yard
Walking around the abbey, it is easy to understand why photography and art flourished here. The soft late-spring light, combined with the mix of architectural styles and surrounding countryside, gives Lacock a timeless quality. The house itself now feels as much a part of the landscape as the surrounding hills and fields.
This landscape includes the extensive abbey grounds which incorporate a rose garden, stone sculptures and an orchard. They provide the perfect setting to switch off from the modern world, slow down and see things from a different perspective. Walking trails around Lacock also offer opportunities for longer hikes to surrounding towns and villages, including the historic town of Melksham.
The stable yard built by Sir William Sharington remains intact and now includes a café and bookshop, with outdoor seating set within the old courtyard. After walking the groups this café provided a perfect stop to replenish energy with a quick coffee and think about my next moves.
Lacock Village
Following my visit to the Abbey, I decided to visit the village itself. Lacock Village has remained largely unchanged for the past 200 years, and wandering through its streets feels like stepping back in time. Lacock is about 5km to the South of Chippenham and 100km to the South-East of Oxford.
The Church of St Cyriac
The village developed around the 14th-century Church of St Cyriac. Visiting the church, its long history is immediately apparent, but I was particularly drawn to the impressive two-bay north-east chapel “the Lady Chapel” built in around 1430 by the Bonham and Croke families (two landed families in Wiltshire).
The Lady Chapel contains a magnificent coloured vaulted ceiling along with several fascinating medieval memorials. Sitting quietly in this part of the church, it is easy to imagine life here during the 1500s. The vaulting also reminded me of the Victoria ceilings in Worcester Cathedral.
The Tithe Barn
Close to the church stands the well-preserved 14th-century tithe barn, which is open to visitors. Built from limestone with a vast timber-framed roof, the barn is striking both for its scale and the medieval carvings that can still be seen in the woodwork. When the abbey was established, the villagers of Lacock became tenants of the monastery and paid their rent in goods such as crops and wool. The tithe barn was therefore essential as a storage space for these commodities.
More on the Village…
The village also has a number of independent shops, traditional pubs and a bakery. The bakery still retains its Victorian styling and sells a range of traditional cakes and pastries.
The village is a picturesque, with a mixture of historic architecture, scenic timber framed colleges and intriguing stories. Its timeless atmosphere has not gone unnoticed, and the village and nearby Abbey are popular with film and series producers with films and series such as Downton Abbey and Harry Potter being filmed here.
Reflection
At first glance, Lacock appears to be little more than a picturesque chocolate-box village. Yet beneath its postcard beauty lies a place shaped by centuries of stories, where people and places are intertwined not only with Wiltshire, but with the wider story of England itself. It is a place where you can easily switch off from the modern world and transport yourself back to a simpler time, allowing you to appreciate both the surroundings and the stories they hold.