Lacock Abbey

Lacock Abbey—a grade I listed building—forms an integral part of a tour of Lacock Village with visitors from home and abroad experiencing the delights the former Augustinian nunnery has to offer. The abbey was established in the thirteenth century and lasted until the sixteenth century when it was converted to a private residence by Sir William Sharrington. The abbey was fortified and remained a royal stronghold until Parliamentary forces took over the property in 1645. The house—built in stone with twisted chimneys and mullioned windows—was constructed over the old cloisters, with living quarters on the first floor. Visitors can still see the original medieval cloisters from the inner courtyard. Gothic Revival style features were added to the property in 1750 by the politician John Ivory Talbot. The medieval bakehouse and brewhouse remain as part of the Tudor courtyard but most of the property as seen today is a hotchpotch of periods and architectural styles.

The picturesque gardens, with meandering pathways through parkland and woods, provide the perfect backdrop to explore the abbey’s longstanding history and its influence on the surrounding area. Visitors can explore William Henry Fox Talbot's Botanic Garden and greenhouse as well as the historic Rose Garden. An 1840 photograph of the garden taken by Talbot was later used as reference to restore the garden to his mother’s design.

The abbey has been used as a film set on numerous occasions, appearing in three Harry Potter movies, the screen adaption of The Other Boleyn Girl, and Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.