From abbey to country home

The exterior of Lacock Abbey in the summer sun

Lacock Abbey is packed with history. It started as an abbey and nunnery, then became a Tudor family home. The last owners were the Talbots, a caring close-knit family that loved their home in Lacock. You might know it as the birthplace of photography.

1200s Foundation

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.

A family walking through the cloister of Lacock Abbey in Wiltshire — The medieval cloister at Lacock Abbey

1500s Transformation

Tudor courtier, Sir William Sharington, purchased the abbey after the Dissolution of the monasteries and turned it into his country house. He unusually incorporated the cloister into the design of his home and added Italian inspired Renaissance architecture including his octagonal tower.

A view of the southside of Lacock Abbey in Wiltshire — Sharington's Tower was built from the original stones of the abbey

1700s Gothick alterations

John Ivory Talbot inherited Lacock and over 58 years transformed both the abbey and its grounds. He was inspired by the Gothick taste and worked with architect Sanderson Miller to add features including the entrance arch and Great Hall.

Portrait of John Ivory Talbot by Michael Dahl

1800s Victorian home

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 the South Gallery including the window where he captured his famous image.

View of the South Gallery at Lacock Abbey, Wiltshire — View of the South Gallery

1900s Gift to the nation

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.