How To Spend A Day In Wiltshire (Including Harry Potter Filming Locations!)

On our recent trip to Bath as well as exploring the city itself, we took a day to exploring the beautiful surrounding Wiltshire countryside (Bath is right by the Wiltshire / Somerset county boundary), and we had such an lovely day I thought I’d put together a little day trip guide full of lovely country houses and some excellent food.

Lacock Village & Abbey

Lacock is a pretty special place. The entire village is owned by the National Trust, keeping it relatively old fashioned and unspoiled, which is why it’s been the filming location for so many different films and television programs from Harry Potter to Downton Abbey.

The abbey itself is beautiful, and until very recently was still a private home. You’ll start in the abbey cloisters which are quite beautiful and peaceful if you get there when they open (you get a real idea of what life would have been like for the nuns living there, listening to bible verses in the Chapter House (the Mirror of Erised room) and cooking in their massive kitchen which still has a cauldron on display (it’s not there because it was Professor Snape’s classroom!) and marks on the wall from where the fire would have been set), before you head into the house which is also the birthplace of photography and where the first photo was taken from a bay garden overlooking the abbey’s parkland.

As I mentioned, I’d recommend heading to the abbey first (making sure to explore the gardens and the photography museum running until March 2025 in the same building where you get your entry tickets first), then wander around the village for a light lunch – Lacock Bakery does some excellent Cornish pasties they’ll warm for you to munch on as you walk around – and to hunt for more filming locations including the Potter’s House in Godric’s Hollow and Horace’s Slughorn’s ‘borrowed’ Muggle house, pictured below.

Heading for the village, set your sat nav for the abbey, but when you get to the village follow the brown National Trust signs to the car parking for visitors so not to overrun the villagers who live in Lacock.

Parking is free for National Trust members, and was free for everyone when we visited in September as all the machines were broken! Otherwise abbey and grounds tickets are £20 each, and it’s free to explore the village.

Great Chalfield Manor

20 minutes drive away from Lacock you’ll find Great Chalfield Manor, one of the smallest National Trust properties I’ve ever visited, but if you’re into beautiful old 15th century houses and well cared for and thought out gardens (like I am!) it’s well worth the visit.

Still a private home, tickets are £9.50 but you have to join a daily tour (no need to book) at 11am, 12pm, then 2pm, 3pm, or 4pm as you can’t obviously just go exploring someone’s house (note there are no photos inside either, I took the above one before they told us this and I’ve edited out any family photos just to give you an idea of the beautiful house inside), but you’re free to explore the wonderful gardens and the little church with a beautifully painted organ at your leisure – don’t miss the incredible yew hedge ‘rooms’, pictured below, which you could literally have dinner at a (small) set table if you wanted!

Take cash though if you’re not a National Trust member and you want to visit though, as they’re so remote card machines don’t work every well so it’s the only way to pay for entry!

Where To Eat

We had a fantastic dinner at Bunch of Grapes in Bradfod-on-Avon, a brilliant neighbourhood restaurant (with a wine bar at the front which doubles as a bakery at the weekends) where you can choose to go a la carte or choose from a tasting menu.

You can check out my full Bunch of Grapes review here: and if you’re thinking about where to park as Bunch of Grapes is right on the high street, I’d recommend St Margaret’s Car Park just over the famous bridge, and which is free to park in after 6pm – so perfect for dinner time!

I hope you enjoy your day exploring a couple of beautiful National Trust properties in Wiltshire! You can find my full selection of travel guides here, which include some great UK destinations including more of Somerset, Cornwall, Newcastle and Scotland!

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