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The wool industry was responsible for Lacock thriving in the middle ages. The village was located on the road from London to Bristol and the River Avon with access to the sea. It therefore played a pivotal role in the movement of wool and cloth.
Lacock village also owed much of its medieval position to Lacock Abbey, founded in 1232. It was one of the few monasteries not to be destroyed during the reformation, when it was bought and converted into a private house. The consequence was that much of the original architectural features have survived in tact, the fine medieval cloisters, sacristy, chapter house and monastic rooms.
William Henry Fox Talbot (1800–77), inventor of the negative/positive photographic process, lived at the Abbey and there’s now a The Photographic Museum that commemorates his achievements as a former resident.
In 1944, the owners of the Abbey and village gave it all to the National Trust. There’s also a botanic garden that reflects Fox Talbot’s scientific approach to plants.
Lacock and its Abbey are now frequently used as a location for TV and film productions, including Pride and Prejudice, Moll Flanders, Emma, Harry Potter and, more recently, Cranford.
Beechfield House country hotel is so near Lacock, not to make a visit would be a serious lost opportunity.
Other places to visit in Wiltshire:
Bath
The Cotswolds
Chippenham
Bradford-on-Avon
Longleat Safari Park
Castle Combe
Cheddar Caves
Wookey Hole
01225 703700
Email Enquiries
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Beechfield
House Luxury Country House Hotel, Beanacre, Chippenham, near Bath, Wiltshire,
SN12 7PU |
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