During my work trip through the UK, our bus made a stop in the small village of Lacock, England. Thanks to its well preserved look, this is a great place to stop between Bath & Stonehenge if you are traveling South to London. Lacock is part of the charming region called the Cotswolds!
History of Lacock
Nine hundred years ago Lacock Abbey was founded. From there, a village formed around the Abbey, as it became the center of the community. To this day, the National Trust owns almost all of Lacock, to keep it in its preserved state – frozen in time.
Lacock Abbey
While in Lacock, you can visit the Church of St. Cyriac and the Abbey. It’s important to note the Abbey hours so you ensure you can tour inside while there. Unfortunately the Abbey was not open when we arrived in the morning, so I was not able to go in. It doesn’t open until 11am, so I recommend making your stop in the afternoon! For more information about tickets and times, click here: Lacock Abbey.
Filming Location
Lacock, England felt oddly familiar to me when I first started walking down the main road. It wasn’t until I realized I had seen it on screen, I understood why. If you’re familiar with Pride & Prejudice, Harry Potter or Downton Abbey – you’ll feel as though you recognize this village too!
As a huge Harry Potter fan, I’ll give you a few key spots. Lacock is home to Harry Potter’s parents house in the flashback in the first movie. The Abbey cloisters are used for some corridor scenes at Hogwarts too. Many rooms at the Abbey also served as classrooms, including Snape’s potions class!
Finally, Slugworm’s hide-out house (in the 6th movie) can be found in Lacock as well. For more info – this blogger does a great job of mapping out the exact scenes and spots: Harry Potter Filming Locations in Lacock.
Lacock is the type of place you either stop at for a few hours, or stay there as a quiet getaway. It’s any Downton Abbey or Harry Potter lovers dream. We were only able to spend a little over an hour here, but it was enough for me to wander off, snap some photos and soak it all in.
After a cup of tea and a scone at the Stables Cafe, it was time for me to depart Lacock, England and head along my journey towards Stonehenge & London.
Cheers, Amanda
