Family-friendly things to do at Lacock

A family explore the parkland at Lacock, two adults look on as two children play at the base of an old tree, a willow sculpture representing the sun in its branches. — A family explore the parkland at Lacock | © National Trust Images/James Dobson

There are lots of things at Lacock for families to enjoy all year round. With a busy programme of activities from family crafts to the magic of live theatre, find out more about what you could discover on your next visit.

Summer at Lacock Abbey

Come rain or shine there's plenty to explore with your family at Lacock this summer.

Start your visit with the story of Lacock's photographic history. The Fox Talbot Museum is dedicated to the inventions and discoveries of Henry Fox Talbot, Lacock's 19th century resident who invented the photographic negative at the abbey. Feel inspired by the new exhibition in the gallery space upstairs, showcasing pieces from the Royal Photographic Society's International Photography Exhibition (open 29 June 2024 - 27 April 2024). You can see the window made famous by Talbot's original negative in the abbey's South Gallery.

The shady woodland offers a cool green space to stretch little legs and get closer to nature, with the paths leading you to the Orchard where you can picnic amidst the wildflowers, or parkland where the Summer of Play play hub will be open from 20 July - 1 September. In the abbey rooms you can pick up an animal spotter trail sheet, can you find all the animals hidden in the paintings and historical objects in the abbey and cloister?

Summer of Play

From 20 July - 1 September adventure awaits in the parkland play hub. Wind your way through the summer grasses and let your imaginations run wild. Whether you're full of beans or bursting with creativity, there's something for everyone and ways to play all day. Craft sessions facilitated by Lacock volunteers will run on weekdays in the school holidays in the creative zone, with self-led activities on weekends. You'll find DIY art boxes available every day to spark your creativity. Challenge your friends to a game in the active zone, will it be badminton or a sack race? Take a mindful moment in the nature area, meet the ranger, kick off your shoes on the barefoot walk and see how many birds you can spot with the binoculars. Storytellers - gather your audience in the performance zone, choose your costume from the dressing up tent and take to the stage! The parkland play hub is outdoors, but there are gazebos and play tents offering shelter and shade. Weekday craft activities will always take place under shelter.

Meet the Ranger Workshops

Bugs and Mini-Beasts
Discover bugs and mini beasts with our ranger at Lacock and turn a log into a bug hotel to take home.
26 July, 2 August, 16 August, 29 August
1.30pm - 3.30pm
Free (general admission applies) and booking is advised.

Plants and Butterflies
Discover butterflies and plants in the parkland with our ranger at Lacock. Wade through the parkland grass with a sweeper net and see what lives there. Turn some Lacock hay into a corn dolly to take home
August 6, August 20
11am - 1pm
Free (general admission applies) and booking is advised.

Summer of Play is sponsored by Starling Bank. All activities included in the cost of general admission.

Outdoor Theatre: Beauty and the Beast

Join Chapterhouse Theatre Company on 15 August for a brand-new telling of this classic fairy tale. Beauty and the Beast is a show suitable for all the family and presented with lively original music and sparkling humour against the atmospheric setting of Lacock's abbey and grounds. Pack a picnic and some seating (low-backed please) and treat the family to a night of magical theatre under the summer skies. Book via our events page below:

Outdoor Theatre: Beauty and the Beast by Chapterhouse Theatre Company | National Trust

Planning your family visit

Here's all the information you need at a glance to help plan your next day out to Lacock Abbey:

Baby-changing facilities are available in access-friendly toilets in the courtyard at the Abbey and in the Red Lion car park toilets
A children's menu is available in the Stables Café, including ice creams
We welcome breastfeeding everywhere at Lacock, including in our cafe and we can provide hot water for making up baby bottles.
Picnics are allowed in the grounds (the orchard is a great place for a picnic) and there are picnic benches in the Pound by the play area in the village
Pushchairs are admitted in the garden, but not in the Abbey or cloister
Children’s scooters and bikes (including self-propelled or balance bikes) are not permitted in the garden.

A girl plays in long grass in a meadow with trees in the background. — Child playing in a meadow on a sunny summer day | © National Trust Images/Antonia Gray

Family-friendly things to do in the village

Lacock is a beautiful village with plenty to see and do (how many locations will you recognise from the Harry Potter films?). You might want to marvel at the majesty of the Tithe Barn, or head over to the children's play area in the village playing field, which is perfect for ball games.

There's a range of great village shops, including a National Trust shop in the High Street ,where there are family gifts and pocket-money toys available to take home and treasure.

If you’ve got the energy to stretch your legs a bit further, explore the countryside around and see the Abbey from a different angle on one of the walks.

‘50 things to do before you're 11¾’

Lacock Abbey is also a great place to tick off some of the National Trust's ‘50 things to do before you're 11¾’. Here's some of the top activities to tick off your list: