NT Lacock Abbey, Museum & Village 2019
The Abbey, located at the heart of the village within its own woodland grounds, is a quirky country house of various architectural styles, built upon the foundations of a former nunnery. You can experience the atmosphere of the medieval rooms and cloister court, giving a sense of the Abbey's monastic past.
The museum celebrates the achievements of former Lacock resident, William Henry Fox Talbot, famous for his contributions to the invention of photography.
The Cloisters
The Cloisters.
The 500 year old cauldron in the Warming Room.
Matilda Talbot was surprised to inherit Lacock in 1916. She was conscious of her duties towards all who lived and worked on the Estate. During times of hardship Matilda sold some of the abbey collection to improve the homes of her tenants in Lacock village. In 1944 she gave the estate to the National Trust.
William Henry Fox Talbots working and hobbies room.
William Henry Fox Talbot and his family lived in the abbey much as it looks today. In August 1835 Talbot created the first photographic negative and established Lacock as a Birthplace of Photography. They remodelled this the South Gallery including the window where he captured his famous image.
The Brewhouse.
One of the most powerful women of the middle ages, Ela Countess of Salisbury, founded Lacock Abbey on the morning of 16 April 1232. The cloister and rooms are a rare example of medieval monastic architecture. Ela’s original cloister was demolished in the 1400s and replaced with what you see today.
