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Historic Towns & Picturesque Villages

Clock on Margate Seafront

Margate

a Seaside Town in the county of Kent

This is the Saxon Church in the village of Cockley Cley, Norfolk

Cockley Cley

in the county of Norfolk

Pictures of Lacock

a Picturesque Village in the county of Wiltshire

About Lacock

Gatherings of graceful medieval houses line the streets of Lacock - a Cotswold village that is entirely owned by the National Trust and exhudes with all the atmosphere of a gracious by-gone age. This is one of the most beautiful villages in England, it has a delightful blend of properties that date from the 15th to the 18th-century.

Like many of the great Cotswold villages, Lacock has it's roots frmley embeded in Saxon times but it was the Normans who built the early church of St.Cyriac. During the 14th and 15th-centuries St.Cyriac's was rebuilt in Cruciform style, it has a west tower and spire. It has a lofty nave with a traceried window above the chancel. The north-east chapel was built in 1430 and has a noted lierne-vault with pendents that contains a magnificent monument to Sir William Sharington who died in 1553. Following the dissolution, Sir William aquired Lacock Abbey and converted it into his family home. Interestingly, Lacock Abbey was originally founded in the 13th-century as a nunnery, by Ela, Countess of Salisbury. Worthy of note is the fact that Ela, was the one and only female sheriff of Wiltshire! Sir William retained the original features of the Abbey and some still remain, the house was only altered to the Gothic style in the mid-18th-century. This fine historic house rewards the visitor with glimpses of many treasures.

Visitors wandering Lacock's streets never fail to be anything other than enchanted by the rich compliment of gorgeous buildings, at every turn, a camera is brought out and photographs are taken of Whitewashed, half timbered houses squashed between stone and brick cottages. High Street is a veritable feast, Porch House is a beautiful timber framed house that has two gables and close-set uprights in it's timber frame. The Red Lion Hotel is of mellow brick and dates from the 18th-century. A 14th-century barn with wonderful curved timbers can be seen in East Street.

Lacock Abbey eventually passed to William Henry Fox Talbot and it was at the Abbey that he carried out experiments into photography. On display in the Abbey is his first recognisable photograph, which is, as you would expect, of Lacock Abbey. Some of his work and equipment can be seen in the museum in the 16th-century barn at the gates of the Abbey. It was William's granddaughter who graciously presented the village of Lacock and the beautiful Abbey to the National Trust.

Some scenes from several romantic films have been shot in Lacock; these include; Emma, Pride and Preudice and Moll Flanders.

Lacock is almost devoid of 21st-century trappings, it is a place of sheer enchantment that provides the visitor with an enjoyable trip into the past.

Recommended towns & villages near Lacock

Castle Combe

Castle Combe (203 Pictures) a Picturesque Village in the county of Wiltshire

(7.3 miles, 11.8 km, direction NW of Lacock)

Tucked away in the Cotswolds, Castle Combe is a quintessential English village with honey-colored stone houses, a medieval market cross, and a peaceful ambiance. It's an idyllic destination for a relaxing countryside getaway...

Old Toll House (18th century)

Trowbridge (148 Pictures) a Historic Market Town in the county of Wiltshire

(7.5 miles, 12.1 km, direction SW of Lacock)

Trowbridge is a historic town crammed with attractive stone buildings. It originated as a settlement along the Biss and flourished from the wool and weaving trades and from these periods there remain many magnificent merchant houses...

The Kennet & Avon Canal

Bath (835 Pictures) a Historic City in the county of Somerset

(10.8 miles, 17.3 km, direction W of Lacock)

Bath is an elegant city famous for its beautiful Georgian architecture and its Roman attractions from which it got it's name. The traveller James Boswell who visited the city.....

The Manor House Avebury

Avebury (171 Pictures) a Picturesque Village in the county of Wiltshire

(11.5 miles, 18.5 km, direction E of Lacock)

The village of Avebury is world famous for its spectacular stone circle, which some consider more spectacular than Stonehenge. The pretty village also has a 15th century church,.....

Inside Malmesbury Abbey

Malmesbury (157 Pictures) a Historic Market Town in the county of Wiltshire

(12.0 miles, 19.4 km, direction N of Lacock)

The town stakes its claim to be the oldest borough in England on the fact that it was granted a charter in the year 924 by King Edward..

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Nearby attractions..

Cistery at Lacock Abbey

Lacock Abbey (97 Pictures)

(0.2 miles, 0.2 km)

Lacock is one of the most beautiful villages in England, with houses dating from the 15th-century to the 18th-century. At the.....

The public walkway alongside the golf course at Bowood Estate, Nr. Chippenham, Wiltshire

Bowood House & Gardens (12 Pictures)

(3.6 miles, 5.8 km, direction E)

..

Farleigh Hungerford Castle

Farleigh Hungerford Castle (24 Pictures)

(9.5 miles, 15.2 km, direction SW)

In 1383, the then Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Thomas Hungerford had to be pardoned for building Farleigh Hungerford.....

Prior Park, Bath 2005

Prior Park (18 Pictures)

(10.3 miles, 16.5 km, direction W)

Capability Brown had a hand in establishing the stunning landscape of Prior Park. His services, together with the advice of.....

Westbury White Horse

Bratton Camp & White Horse (4 Pictures)

(10.4 miles, 16.8 km, direction S)

..

Side view of the Bath Abbey.

Bath Abbey (153 Pictures)

(10.5 miles, 16.8 km, direction W)

Bath Abbey is a beautiful building. The building is sited on the remains of a Norman Cathedral which itself replaced an 8th.....

The Building of Bath Museum

Buildings of Bath Museum (2 Pictures)

(10.6 miles, 17.1 km, direction W)

"The Best Treat in Bath" - The Daily Telegraph Discover how the City of Bath was transformed from a small provincial spa town.....


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