Queen Camilla has long cherished her countryside retreat at a mansion in Lacock, Wiltshire, where she’s been unwinding with family since 1995 away from the public gaze. In a recent move to safeguard their privacy, King Charles stepped in to prevent a potential security issue by snapping up the property adjacent to his wife’s rural sanctuary, amid concerns it could become a bustling wedding hotspot.
According to reports, King Charles has shelled out £3million from his own coffers to acquire The Old Mill, which neighbours Camilla’s Ray Mill House. The decision came after plans to sell the property for use as a wedding venue and short-term holiday let were reportedly causing the Queen “great anxiety”.
Lacock, a quaint medieval market village with a population of just around 1,000, is no stranger to celebrity residents. Alongside Queen Consort Camilla, the village has been home to well-known YouTuber Zoella (Zoe) Sugg and her brother Joe Sugg, who was a finalist on Strictly Come Dancing in 2018. Rock drummer Nick Mason, of Pink Floyd, and chef Marco Pierre White Jr also reside just a stone’s throw away in Corsham.
The picturesque village, almost entirely under the stewardship of the National Trust, draws numerous visitors to its remarkably preserved streets, which appear much as they did two centuries prior, reports the Express.
Steeped in history and enveloped in stunning scenery, every corner of Lacock offers a glimpse into a bygone era, making it a living tableau of historical splendour.
One of the must-visit spots in the village is the old shop at 2 High Street. This building served as a coffee tavern in the late 19th century, transitioned into a stationers after World War I, and incorporated the Post Office in 1966.
After closing its doors in the early 1980s, the last occupant, Miss Butler, arranged the window display to mimic those of the early 20th century, and it has remained untouched since.
Lacock village has had its brush with fame, having been chosen as the filming location for several Harry Potter films. Its charm also attracted the producers of Downtown Abbey, Wolf Hall, the BBC’s 1995 production of Pride and Prejudice, and The Other Boleyn Girl, further enhancing the medieval village’s reputation.
William Henry Fox Talbot, a pioneering scientist and inventor, made significant contributions to photography while living in Lacock Abbey. He created the earliest surviving photographic negative in 1835 and constructed the greenhouses in the Botanic Garden at Lacock Abbey.
The village’s picturesque charm is further enhanced by several other gardens such as the Woodland Garden, The Orchard, and The Rose Garden.
Lacock is a quintessential English village that has seen little change over the past 200 years. Its streets are lined with timber-framed houses and independent shops.
In medieval times, Lacock was largely surrounded by the vast Melksham Forest, which stretched 33 miles from south to east, reaching the edge of the village.
Aside from the irregular layout of Church Street (where the settlement originated), the remainder of Lacock is a medieval planned town, deliberately designed in a grid pattern. This arrangement is still evident in the configuration of the other streets today.