And on to Lacock....

Upon leaving the picturesque village of Castle Combe, our group headed to the sweet town of Lacock,

another timeless and traditional English village,

first founded in 1232 and with most houses built in the 18th century or much earlier.

Almost untouched in the last few centuries,

the village has been the backdrop for many movies and period dramas,

including Pride and Prejudice, Cranford, Emma,

and a couple of Harry Potter films.

Situated in the center of the village is Lacock Abbey, first founded  in the 13th century as a nunnery,

which was converted into a country house of various architectural styles.

The cloister courtyard is especially picturesque. The cloisters and side rooms were converted into classrooms at Hogwarth Castle for the Harry Potter movies.

After touring the village which is almost completely owned by the National Trust, we found ourselves hungry, so we ducked into The Red Lion

to warm up and enjoy a Sunday roast.

And then sadly it was time to drive back into the city, leaving behind two magical villages that time has left untouched.

We had rented a Mercedes for the excursion, and were quite perplexed when a "cup" light illuminated  on the dashboard with a ding sound.

We wondered for a while--do British cars announce when it is time for tea?? After all, it was that time of the day!

Any guesses what it's for?

After a prolonged search in the owner's manual by our faithful "co-pilot" for the day, we finally realized that it was a warning signal that the driver was veering out of his lane, and might need to break for some caffeine. Needless to say, we got a good laugh out of that one, and stayed more focused on keeping our driver alert and staying in his own lane.

If you'd like to read a bit more about Lacock on a prettier day, this will direct you to earlier blogs after a 2010 visit, both here and here.

On the Harry Potter trail

After visiting the village of Lacock, we headed over to Lacock Abbey to see what remained from the 13th century.

Even though the temperatures were hovering at the freezing mark that sunny day, the snowdrop flowers were framing the abbey gardens.

Come in and take a further look.

Founded in 1232, the abbey prospered until the dissolution of the abbeys by Henry VIII. Some 832 religious communities were disbanded between 1536-41. It is still possible today, however, to see the cloisters, the chapter house, and the sacristy, along with several monastic rooms.

After 1539, it became a country home until 1944 when it was turned over to the National Trust. Pretty special house, I'd say!

Fast forward to the 21st century, and Lacock's claim to fame is as a setting for two of the Harry Potter films--Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (known in the States as the Sorceror's Stone) and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. You might remember in one scene that the gardens of the cloisters were covered with snow and held a fountain.

The cloisters and the side rooms were transformed into classrooms at the Hogwarts School.

Harry, Ron and Hermione left their footsteps here in the hallways.

And in the middle of the Warming room stands the cauldron featured in the movie.

Now for confession time: I've never read a Harry Potter book.  I've never watched a Harry Potter movie, but the odd thing is that Saturday night, I was flipping channels and what came up on the screen but Harry and his classmates in this very room in front of the boiling cauldron. And I have to tell you, I was intrigued. So..., if I was to take a first dip into the Harry Potter experience (just considering it, mind you) would you recommend reading the books or diving into the movies head-first?

And a giant Thank You to sweet Jenny at Pleasant Places for her kind words and for her gift of this award. You'll be treating yourself if you check out her blog too.

Stepping back in time to Lacock

After seeing Stonehenge, we drove a short distance further to the picturesque village of Lacock. It was like stepping back in time to see this beautifully preserved town, which once was a thriving town during the peak of the wool trading days from the 14th-18th century.

Managed today by the National Trust,  the village has been the location for many films, since it provides such an authentic backdrop for period pieces. The National Trust has taken great care to preserve the town, and interestingly enough, television is piped into Lacock from a well-hidden aerial on a near-by hillside, to avoid seeing aerials and wires in the town.

We loved strolling through the streets, and imagining ourselves as characters in Pride and Prejudice, or in Emma, which were both filmed there. (Well, maybe I should clarify that--Mike was not doing any imagining of course, but I was, along with my friend, Cathy who was with us that day.)

After the peak of the wool trade, Lacock remained important as a staging post, and the city was left out of the Industrial Revolution, because the Talbot family who owned the village at the time, made sure that the railway lines never came near the village.

Fascinating as well, was the tithe barn which dated from the 14th century. Originally attached to the Lacock Abbey, the tithe barn would hold a tenth of each farmer's crops which were donated to the church.

Located in the center of the town, was the church of St. Cyriac which was rebuilt in the 15th century.

This black and white timbered house from the 15th century was originally a wool merchant's house, but today is the locale of the Sign of the Angel inn.

By this time of the day, we were hungry and decided to dine there and take our chances with the "resident ghost" as listed on the sign outside the door.

It was full of character inside--old beams, low ceilings, walls that were a bit crooked, but alas, no signs of ghosts. Just a good hearty lunch in front of the fireplace.

Before leaving town, we visited the Lacock Abbey. Stay tuned for its story, especially all you Harry Potter fans. I think you just might see something you've seen before!

Many thanks to Jenny at Pleasant Places for her kind words about my blog. Stop by her blog if you have a chance. She's such a great story teller about her own travels with her cute family. I love reading about her journeys!