Lacock

Bernadette was suffering from an extreme case of “Most Beautiful Village in England Syndrome “ and needed a fix.

So off we went to Castle Combe.
Named one of the 10 Most Beautiful Villages in England it was only down the road. The only problem is that it’s so beautiful that everyone else in England wants to see it as well.

They’ve built a car park about .75 of a kilometre up the hill.
Doesn’t sound like much except as this is the English countryside there are no gutters, footpath or clear sight lines.

We walked back up the hill and did a drive through.

Fantastic place that photos aren’t going do justice to so you just need to go or look it up.

It’s good to be the National Trust.

In 1944 Matilda Talbot gave the Lacock Abbey and the village to them.

Matilda was the last of a long line of Talbots most notably William Henry Fox Talbot, an early pioneer of photography and at the end just gave them the lot. About 1.5 sq kilometres, Church, 2 pubs , school, shops, the lot.

Before Henry VIII’s great real estate redistribution it had been an Augustinian Convent since 1232, then a house, then a renovated house in the 1900’s, them Matida’s great gift.

Really an excellent place.

Bernadette now soothed and happy we headed to Chippenham, a market town for an afternoon of grooming and our hotel.
Two haircuts, one set of eyebrows and some restocking of toiletries and we were done.
The Town was having a Civic Sunday and the Mayor. Counsellors, local luminaries and the usual collection of Services personnel all processed up the closed off Main Street. Watched almost entirely by Bernadette3 and Mark. Rest of population appeared to be shopping at WILKO (upmarket Reject Shop) or doing what you do on a Sunday in town.Read more