Lacock Abbey, Fox Talbot Museum and Village

Important notice -

The abbey grounds and car park at Lacock are now open. You will need to book your visit in advance. Check What’s On for the latest information and to book. You will be turned away if you arrive without a booking.

Country house with monastic roots, once home to William Henry Fox Talbot, inventor of the photographic negative

More about this place

Family walking dogs

Which places are open and what you need to know before you visit 

We’ve opened more than 130 gardens and parks in England, Wales and Northern Ireland through advanced booking. Tickets are released on Friday for the following week. More than 200 coast and countryside car parks are open across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Read this article to find out what's open and what to expect from your visit.

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Lacock Abbey, Fox Talbot Museum and Village

What's on 

Please book ahead before visiting 

The car park and abbey grounds at Lacock are open. You’ll need to book your tickets by 3pm the day before your visit. Members can book for free, while non-members will need to pay when booking. We'll be releasing tickets every Friday. Please note we’ll be turning people away who arrive and haven't booked. We're looking forward to welcoming you back.

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Upcoming events

See all events

Timed entry to Lacock (13 July - 19 July)

Tue 14 Jul 2020
10:30-11:00
Book your timed entry to visit Lacock.
Visitors arriving in the car park at Lacock

What to expect when you visit Lacock 

The car park and abbey grounds at Lacock are now open. Here's what to expect and how to book your visit.

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Lacock Abbey, Fox Talbot Museum and Village

Things to see and do

The cauldron in the Warming Room at Lacock Abbey in Wiltshire

Lacock on screen 

Lacock is a famous filming location and its appearances include Harry Potter, Wolf Hall and Pride and Prejudice. Look out for the Abbey in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.

A white woman's cheek, neck and red hair turned away from the camera

'Adornments' by Carla van de Puttelaar 

While the Fox Talbot Museum is temporarily closed, you can still enjoy a selection of works by Dutch artist, Carla van de Puttelaar, from her current exhibition in the museum, 'Adornments'. (Please note that the exhibition contains nudes.)

Walks at Lacock

The East Terrace of Lacock Abbey in Wiltshire

Lacock pleasure garden walk 

Let us guide you through the village and over the remains of a long forgotten water garden. Witness some impressive views of the abbey, not seen from within the abbey grounds.

Lacock Abbey, Wiltshire, seen across the river.

Lacock riverside walk 

Explore the medieval market village of Lacock and see beautiful views of Lacock Abbey as you follow the banks of the River Avon on this 2 mile walk. This picturesque route takes you through the medieval village and out to the surrounding countryside.

Lacock Abbey colouring in

Line drawing of Lacock Abbey

Lacock Abbey colouring sheet 

Lacock Abbey is packed with history. It started as an abbey and nunnery, then became a Tudor family home. Download a PDF colouring sheet of the abbey here.

Line drawing of Lacock cloister

Lacock Abbey cloister colouring sheet 

You might recognise the medieval cloister from film and TV - its even appeared in Harry Potter. Download a PDF colouring sheet of the cloister here.

Line drawing of the sphinx statue at Lacock surrounded by flowers

Lacock Abbey sphinx colouring sheet 

In the garden, a sphinx sits proudly atop two columns. Download a PDF colouring sheet of the sphinx here.

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Lacock Abbey, Fox Talbot Museum and Village

Eating and shopping

Woman holding takeaway hot drink

Feeling peckish?

The Stables café has reopened and will initially be serving a limited range of takeaway hot and cold drinks and some light snacks. We’ve introduced new safety measures including closure of our seating areas, screens at our till and collection points, and waymarked routes. We’ll also only be accepting card payment. We look forward to welcoming you back and know that you’ll support us to make this a safe experience for everyone. 

Bring some character to your garden with our range of garden decor, available on the online shop

Treat yourself 

Looking for the perfect gift or perhaps you're in need of some retail therapy? You can browse our full range via our online shop. Your purchases and support enable us to continue to care for the nature, beauty and history we all miss.

The sitting room at 2 High Street, Lacock

Stay a while 

Why not stay a little longer and spend some nights in picturesque Lacock?

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Lacock Abbey, Fox Talbot Museum and Village

Our work

Conservation Assistants cleaning the cauldron in the Warming Room, Lacock Abbey

Looking after Lacock Abbey over winter 

Over winter, many of the rooms in the abbey are closed to give Lacock's hardworking house team a chance to get stuck into the winter conservation deep clean.

Clock face in the tall clock-tower at the west side of the courtyard at Lacock Abbey

Winding Lacock's courtyard clock 

Like the Abbey itself, the Victorian courtyard clock at Lacock is known for its quirks. The Abbey team explain how they look after this special piece of Lacock's history.

Volunteer cleaning one of Lacock's Tudor tiles

Conserving Lacock's Medieval tiles 

The conservation team at Lacock Abbey have been working to clean and conserve over a thousand tiles dating back to the 1200s.

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Lacock Abbey, Fox Talbot Museum and Village

Get involved

Visitors in the garden at a National Trust place

Experience more with National Trust membership 

As we gradually and safely open more of the places we care for, there’ll be more opportunities to explore gardens and parklands near you. If you’re a member, you can access all these places free, together with most National Trust car parks. It’s so important for everyone to have fresh air, birdsong, big skies and open spaces to enjoy. Your membership will go towards looking after all of this for generations to come.

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Lacock Abbey, Fox Talbot Museum and Village

Art and collections

See Collections website NT 996351

Lacock Abbey by John Piper 

John Piper, official war artist during World War II, painted this impressionistic view of Lacock Abbey in March 1942.

Our collections

Explore the objects and works of art we care for at Lacock Abbey, Fox Talbot Museum and Village on the National Trust Collections website

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© National Trust Registered Charity 205846 Heelis, Kemble Drive, Swindon SN2 2NA

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