Rural North Wiltshire is blessed with a host of picturesque villages but the National Trust village Lacock is the jewel in the crown.

Film makers have flocked to the village, keen to make use of its unspoilt appearance to recreate a vision of England's past.

The village, home of Lacock Abbey and the Fox Talbot Museum, is a honey pot for tourists all year round.

Lacock Abbey was founded in 1232 by Ela Countess of Salisbury, but it was dissolved by Henry VIII and converted into a house.

The church was destroyed but new elements were added, including the octagonal tower, the stable courtyard and the brewery.

Fortunately the cloisters courtyard and some of the medieval building still exist.

In the Victorian era William Henry Fox Talbot, father of modern photography, took some of the first negative pictures while working at the abbey. He also left his mark on the architecture of the building, when he remodelled the south elevation.

Miss Matilda Talbot handed Lacock Abbey and most of the village to the National Trust in 1944, thereby ensuring the settlement would be preserved for future generations.

Lacock Abbey is open April to October, 1pm to 5pm. It is closed on Tuesdays and on Good Friday.

The Fox Talbot Museum is open March to October 11am to 5pm, every day except Good Friday. In November and December it is open on Saturdays and Sundays 11am to 4pm.