Lacock Abbey, Fox Talbot Museum and Village, Lacock, Wiltshire
Lacock Abbey started life as a nunnery but later became a Tudor family home, so the monastic cloisters are incorporated within the Italian Renaissance inspired architecture; there are Gothic additions and the house you see today is pretty much as it was when it was last lived in prior to 1944 when it was given to the National Trust. It’s an absolute gem inside and out; you can see grapes ripening on the vine in the greenhouse, admire the colours of the Botanic Garden and walk the woodland paths. The whole atmosphere is breathtaking, the way the mist settles in the autumn, the way the sun falls on the abbey, it’s so beautiful. Go and see it, and visit the Fox Talbot Museum which explores the history of photography and the breakthroughs that were made in this medium at Lacock Abbey. Then have a stroll around the idyllic village and end up at the Stables Café or Courtyard Tea Room for cake and a drink. Almost the whole of this Wiltshire village is owned and maintained by the National Trust and like other villages they own, it's all very idyllic.
Opening times vary throughout the year so please check the website before setting out.
T: 01249 730459 All information correct at the time of writing