Lacock

Coordinates: 51°24′45″N 2°07′06″W / 51.4125°N 2.118333°W / 51.4125; -2.118333

Lacock is a village and civil parish in the rural county of Wiltshire, England, 3 miles (5 km) from the town of Chippenham. The village is owned almost in its entirety by the National Trust and attracts many visitors by virtue of its unspoiled appearance.

The parish includes Bowden Hill, a small village 1 mile (1.6 km) to the east of Lacock, and the hamlet of Notton, the same distance to the northwest.

History

Lacock is mentioned in the Domesday Book, with a population of 160–190; with two mills and a vineyard. Lacock Abbey was founded on the manorial lands by Ela, Countess of Salisbury and established in 1232; and the village — with the manor — formed its endowment to "God and St Mary". Lacock was granted a market and developed a thriving woolen industry during the Middle Ages. Reybridge, and a packhorse ford, remained the only crossing points of the River Avon until the 18th century.