Lacock Abbey, Village, and Fox Talbot Museum

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This quirky country house, once home to the inventor of the photographic negative, was built on upon the foundations of a former nunnery. It now encapsulates the leisured life of a wealthy and intellectually curious family, the Fox Talbots, whose most famous member was a scientific polymath and moved among the outstanding minds of the early 19th century.

The Abbey, which has been at the heart of Lacock for more than eight centuries, is surrounded by meadows and woodland that is filled with birds and carpeted with crocus in spring. The medieval Cloister (which stood in for Hogwarts in the Harry Potter films) is a peaceful, golden space that gives a sense of the building’s monastic past, while the richly furnished rooms above connect the visitor with the genius of William Henry Fox Talbot, the gentleman-scientist whose discoveries paved the way for 20th century photography.

Explore the history of photography in the Fox Talbot museum, which not only celebrates Fox Talbot’s achievements but also hosts a programme of photography exhibitions.

Beyond the Abbey gates is a quintessential English village, which has been the backdrop to many films and TV dramas. Lacock grew up to serve the medieval nunnery and is still a thriving community, many of the homes unchanged in essence for centuries and now filled with independent retailers.