Family-friendly things to do at Lacock

Two children taking in the atmosphere of Lacock's Cloister, they are gazing upwards off camera and the sun is shining. — Children exploring the Cloisters at Lacock Abbey, Wiltshire | © National Trust/James Beck

There are lots of things at Lacock for families to enjoy all year round. With a busy programme of activities from family crafts to nature trails, find out more about what you could discover on your next visit.

Summer of Play at Lacock

Each summer Lacock's parkland is transformed into a play hub just for the school holidays. Walk the grassy paths to find 10 different play zones, from the dressing up tent to the mud kitchen, with den-building. badminton and nature spotting activities too. Get creative in the craft tent with a different theme each week led by a team of volunteers, with Wiltshire Scrapstore hosting workshops on weekends. This year there will also be activities designed to unleash both imagination and energy with the National Trust's new partnership with Pokémon. Find out more about the partnership here.

Please note assistance dogs only admitted into the parkland during the Summer of Play.

A piece of photographic history

Borrow an interactive discovery backpack in the abbey, where the photographic negative was invented in 1835. Full of hands-on activities to help children explore colour and light, two important elements of photographic image making. Use the prompts and props as you walk around the abbey rooms and imagine how Victorian inventor, Henry Fox Talbot, felt when he was experimenting with early photographic techniques.

Exploring the house and gardens

The woodland provides cooling shade in the summer months. Follow the paths and keep an eye out for the bugs, birds and squirrels that live in the trees and hedgerows. The Orchard is a good spot for a picnic and the Botanic Garden is especially good for pollinator spotting - how many types of bee can you see busy at work in the flower beds?

Inside the house explore the medieval Cloister, nearly 800 years of history and the oldest part of the abbey. Film fans will be familiar with the Cloister walks and rooms - especially the mini witches and wizards who always wanted to go to a certain school of witchcraft and wizardry.

Planning your family visit

Here's all the information you need at a glance to help plan your next day out to Lacock Abbey:

Baby-changing facilities are available in access-friendly toilets in the courtyard at the Abbey and in the Red Lion car park toilets
A children's menu is available in the Stables Café, including ice creams
We welcome breastfeeding everywhere at Lacock, including in our cafe and we can provide hot water for making up baby bottles.
Picnics are allowed in the grounds (the orchard is a great place for a picnic) and there are picnic benches in the Pound by the play area in the village
Pushchairs are admitted in the garden, but not in the Abbey or cloister
Children’s scooters and bikes (including self-propelled or balance bikes) are not permitted in the garden.

A child gets ready to snap a photo on their phone through the window of the Cloister at Lacock, they use their thumb to focus the image which captures the stone walkway across the Cloister Garth. — A child taking a photo in the Cloister at Lacock Abbey | © National Trust Images/James Dobson

Family-friendly things to do in the village

Lacock is a beautiful village with plenty to see and do (how many locations will you recognise from the Harry Potter films?). You might want to marvel at the majesty of the Tithe Barn, or head over to the children's play area in the village playing field, which is perfect for ball games.

There's a range of great village shops, including a National Trust shop in the High Street ,where there are family gifts and pocket-money toys available to take home and treasure.

If you’ve got the energy to stretch your legs a bit further, explore the countryside around and see the Abbey from a different angle on one of the walks.

‘50 things to do before you're 11¾’

Lacock Abbey is also a great place to tick off some of the National Trust's ‘50 things to do before you're 11¾’. Here's some of the top activities to tick off your list: