Family-friendly things to do at Lacock

Two children sit in the reindeer sleigh at Lacock, they are laughing and their adult carer stands behind them joining in the fun. — A family play in the reindeer sleigh in the Courtyard at Lacock, Wiltshire | © National Trust Images/James Dobson

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

Autumn Colour and Winter Sparkle at Lacock

Watch the seasons change at Lacock as autumn colour comes to life in the Woodland. Get on those wellies and stamp and squelch your way around the paths (puddles subject to availability!) before a cosy hot chocolate in the Stables Cafe. The abbey rooms are closed for the annual winter clean until March 1, so wrap up warm and enjoy a wintery walk around the abbey gardens. Take a peek into the abbey's medieval and Tudor periods with a walk around the Cloister and Courtyard, and don't forget to stock up on reading material for all the family in the secondhand bookshop.

Light Struck

The Fox Talbot Museum hosts a solo exhibition by artist and photographer, Ellen Carey, from 27 May 2023. Carey has been working with analogue processes since the 70s and was named by the Royal Photographic Society in 2019 as one of their Hundred Heroines of photography. Light Struck celebrates two centuries of photographic discovery, with Carey's pieces prompting questions of 'how is this made?' and 'what is photography in the 21st century'. Fox Talbot named his early experiments 'photogenic drawings' or 'light drawings' and Carey responds to this with a new piece in homage to his 19th century photogram 'Cascade of Spruce Needles'. The large format prints combine photogram with Polaroid technology and are created on a supersized instant camera in Carey's studio in the USA.

Light Struck runs in the Fox Talbot Museum until March 2024, with a programme of related events taking place throughout the year. Entry is included in general admission, free for National Trust members.

Christmas at Lacock

It's the most wonderful time of the year! Christmas begins at Lacock on 25 November and runs into the first week of January. The Great Hall reopens decked in boughs of holly, the willow reindeers are let loose to prance around the grounds and the village and Mother Christmas will be reading stories in the Christmas grotto. Pick up a reindeer trail sheet from Visitor Reception (£2 and includes a prize) and take part in activities dotted around the gardens. During the school holidays the Courtyard Tearoom is open for mince pies and hot chocolates, light lunches and cakes.

Booking is essential for Storytime with Mother Christmas. Find out all about Christmas at Lacock here.

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
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.

Close-up of the feet of a child wearing green wellies and red waterproof trousers, amid leaves, at Colby Woodland Garden, Pembrokeshire — Squelching mud and crunchy leaves at Lacock | © 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: