This is part of a continuing series of photographs from my 21-day, three country, five city
winter vacation to Europe with my ladyfriend Serena.
After arriving in the city of Bath, we took day trips to two absolutely charming villages –
Castle Combe and Lacock in the county of Wiltshire…
As a young(er) man in my mid-twenties, I traveled to Galicia, Spain twice in the same year. The first time, I spent Christmas and New Year’s Eve with my “familia Galega”. Now, if you know Galicia, winters bring rainy days (“Se chove, que chova!”) and perpetual moody, cloudy skies. I traveled there again in the summertime, where less rain and brighter skies are more common. What I realized was that Galicia looked better when the skies were cloudy and the harsh shadow and light that the summer sun causes were non-existent. When I arrived in Castle Combe this past January, I felt the same way…
Castle Combe
Often named the ‘prettiest village in England’, Castle Combe is a picturesque settlement in the Cotswolds region of south-central England, located in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, one of 46 areas of countryside in England, Wales, or Northern Ireland that has been designated for conservation due to its significant landscape value. The grey skies really allowed the natural beauty of the village to be fully realized (not to mention facilitate photography!) – and what an absolutely lovely village it was.
The settlement was listed in the Domesday Book of 1086, with 33 households. Castle Combe, which takes its name from the 12th-century castle which stood about 1⁄3 mile to the north, has a rich history, and all the houses are made from beautiful honey-coloured Cotswold stone, typical for a village in this area. The properties are many hundreds of years old and are listed as ancient monuments. Strict rules apply to preserve the beauty and character of Castle Combe for future generations to admire.
St Andrew’s Church
Originally founded in the 13th century, the church building has grown and evolved over the centuries. The nave was added in the 14th century and the tower completed in the 16th century. As a result of the church falling into serious disrepair, a substantial amount of rebuilding of the church had to take place in 1850-51. An annex to the north side of the church housing some modern amenities was completed in 2018.
The interior of the church consists of a nave, chapels to the northeast and southeast, aisles and a south porch. The wooden roof, with its intricately carved beams, coupled with the delicate stonework of the arches and columns, is a another unique feature of the church.
On the north side of the church is a carved stone monument of a Norman Knight, Sir Walter de Dunstanville, Baron of Castle Combe, who died in 1270.
There are a number of tombs, memorials and monuments in the churchyard, 25 of which are Grade II listed, a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection.
The Castle Combe War Memorial is a poignant tribute in the heart of Cotswolds village, commemorating the local men who lost their lives during the First World War. The memorial is integrated into an early 19th century Gothic-style screen wall, originally designed to close a view beside Market Cross Cottage.
During our time in Bath, we were joined by Serena’s daughter Marina who lives in Coventry…
Situated on the southern edge of the Cotswolds, the Manor House is a 17th-century country house/hotel set on 365 acres of rolling countryside.
Serena’s daughter also grabbed a few photographs of us as well…
Lacock
Yeah, it might not have the greatest name – and if you went to public schools in the Bronx (like I did) with that as your last name, you would be the object of merciless daily mockery. However, Lacock is a quintessential English village with timber-framed cottages and local shops. It’s about a 22 minute drive south of Castle Combe and equally as quaint and walkable (and equally as lovely under the cover of clouds).
The name Lacock dates from Saxon times when the earliest permanent settlers lived by the Bide Brook, which runs through the middle of the village. They called it lacuc or ‘little stream’. Settlement began around the church, reflected in the irregular line of Church Street. With its central grid of four streets, Lacock today looks much as it did 200 years ago. The village is owned almost in its entirety by the National Trust (a heritage and nature conservation charity) and attracts many visitors by virtue of its unspoiled appearance.
Lacock Abbey
Lacock Abbey, on the edge of the village, was founded in 1232, by Ela, Countess of Salisbury, as a nunnery of the Augustinian order. Countess Ela was the first and only female sheriff of Wiltshire. She built the Abbey as a tribute to her husband and became its first Abbess.
In the 16th century, it was sold to English landowner Sir William Sharington who converted the convent into a residence where he and his family lived. The house later became the residence of William Henry Fox Talbot who, in 1835, invented the positive-negative film process and is known as the father of modern photography.
In 1944, his granddaughter Matilda Theresa Talbot gave the house and the surrounding village of Lacock to the National Trust. The abbey houses the Fox Talbot Museum, devoted to the pioneering work of William Talbot in the field of photography.
Fox Talbot Museum
At the dissolution of the monasteries, the Abbey was turned into a country house and its church was destroyed. Fortunately, it still retains its cloisters, sacristy, chapter house and monastic rooms. Fine furniture, portraits, and stone carvings adorn the abbey.
The films “Pride and Prejudice”, “Moll Flanders” and “Emma” were partially filmed in the village. “Downton Abbey” also used Lacock as a setting. The films “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” and “Wolfman” were also filmed here. The cloisters of Lacock Abbey have also served as a setting for Hogwarts School.
Church of St Cyriac
St Cyriac’s Church is a 14th-century Church dedicated to a Norman saint, St. Cyriac, a Christian martyr who was killed in the Diocletianic Persecution. The church was partly rebuilt in the 14th century, with a more extensive 15th-century rebuild undertaken from the substantial local tax revenues. Alas, it was closed when we arrived…
The Lacock War Memorial on West Street, previously located at St Cyriac’s Church, was first unveiled in 1920. There are 30 names listed for World War 1 and 14 for World War 2.
Castle Combe and Lacock are two truly enchanting villages and make for excellent day trips should you find yourself in nearby Bath (and you really should find yourself there one day). Each one is about an hour’s drive from Bath and about a 25 minute drive from each other. You could easily see them both on the same day – hopefully with a cloudy sky.
Next up are images from our visit to London so SUBSCRIBE HERE to not miss it. All the cool kids have already done it. Just saying…Photographs taken with (mostly) the Sony a7RV using the Sony 24-105 f/4 lens and the Xiaomi 13 UltraFor more information on all that Bath has to offer, visit the official tourism site
