May 24, 2018 — Lacock and Lacock Abbey

This is our last vacation day so we wanted an easy one. Spent a leisurely rainy morning, checked email and finally drove in to the National Trust parking lot in Lacock when the rain let up. We walked to the Lacock Abbey entrance and entered the Fox-Talbot Photography Museum thoroughly enjoying both information and exhibits. I really expected to see my childhood Brownie camera on exhibit but it wasn’t there. So sad . . . The other cameras were fascinating though. Photography has really changed in the last couple decades.

The Abbey opened at 11:00 so we walked over taking pictures of all the cute sheep and their lambs in the surrounding field. At some point there was a very loud “baa baa” and all the sheep started moving toward and then around the Abbey . . . all of them baaing by then. It was funny, a visible cliché.

Lacock Abbey has been used in many movies, most notably the Harry Potter series. After Henry VIII dissolved the Abbeys, Lacock became a private home so there are ancient parts and many changes. It was all interesting. Unfortunately we haven't seen any of the Harry Potter films so didn't know what was in them and what was not, but our granddaughters loved Harry Potter so we took lots of pictures.

We left the Abbey looking for lunch and ended up back at the George Inn where we had eaten the day we arrived in Lacock. This time both of us got the confit duck I had liked so well before. It was equally good today and since we were later, the place was packed. Oddly, we got the same seat we had on the previous visit. It was waiting for us.

We left The George Inn and while walking back to the Abbey discovered St. Cyriac's Church so stopped for a short visit. We were surprised to see colorful balloons tucked under pews and into odd corners all over the church. It was quite festive but we have no idea why they were there. Can balloons invade a church?

After the church, we continued through Lacock back to the Abbey to explore the gardens and were soon joined by a cute grey cat with white paws who followed us through the gardens. I dubbed her Abby since she was an Abbey cat. We wandered the garden until the rain started again. We walked back, got the car and drove home for a dry, quiet evening going through souvenirs and sorting out junk to be ready to pack for the trip home. We've really enjoyed Lacock. It's kind of timeless and very friendly.