Fox Talbot Museum at Lacock Abbey
Fox Talbot Museum at Lacock Abbey
Fox Talbot Museum at Lacock Abbey
4.5
10:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Monday
10:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Tuesday
10:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Wednesday
10:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Thursday
10:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Friday
10:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Saturday
10:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Sunday
10:30 AM - 5:30 PM
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4.5
630 reviews
Excellent
291
Very good
268
Average
60
Poor
7
Terrible
4
cennenypedr
Wales748 contributions
Feb 2022
Sadly there were just too many people to see anything and spend time looking. Even had there not been covid around (and it still is) the museum was far too crowded. There was a queue of people going up the stairs to see the exhibit up there. We had got upstairs before the queue built up but with the uncomfortable feeling of people breathing down your neck and children kicking at your legs (unintentional but just no space) we got out without seeing anything.
Written 27 February 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
rebeljenn
Ruislip, UK902 contributions
May 2021
A lot of history and information about the man who invented photography and others who contributed to the invention too. Includes a few examples and personal items and a series of cameras that date back to the late 1800s until modern times. Covid restrictions made reading everything more difficult. You feel that you got to rush some bits and then you're waiting for other people to finish on other bits. Will be better I think when covid restrictions lift.
Written 26 May 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Carol B
Birmingham, UK7,288 contributions
Jan 2024 • Couples
Wednesday 31st January 2024. on our way back home, we drove up towards Chippenham where we went to visit The Fox Talbot Museum and Lacock Abbey under the care of The National Trust.
First of all we went to The Fox Talbert Museum of Photography, which was tells the story of photography and includes all early attempts at making photographs and there is a fine collection of cameras.
The was also an exhibition of ‘Light & Photography’ By Ellen Carey and it showcased her work from negative to digital to the printing of images on fabric.
We found this exhibition very interesting.
Afterwards, we visited Lacock Abbey.
First of all we went to The Fox Talbert Museum of Photography, which was tells the story of photography and includes all early attempts at making photographs and there is a fine collection of cameras.
The was also an exhibition of ‘Light & Photography’ By Ellen Carey and it showcased her work from negative to digital to the printing of images on fabric.
We found this exhibition very interesting.
Afterwards, we visited Lacock Abbey.
Written 8 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
sarahpWiltshire
Trowbridge, UK836 contributions
Jan 2022
After visiting Lacock Abbey we visited the Fox Talbot Museum. The museum is very well laid out and very interesting. There is also an additional astronomy exhibition with some stunning photos! Certainly worth a visit!
Written 4 February 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
YoungBarbarian
Ashton-under-Lyne, UK39 contributions
July 2021
Visited the Fox Talbot Museum which is located within the entrance barn and is included in the entrance fee. Very informative on photography from the beginning through to current day spanning nearly 200years. Plenty of walks in the grounds and gardens and the Cloisters and Abbey itself were were interesting, with reference to the filming of Harry Potter using the Cloisters for scenes from Hogwarts.
Written 15 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sarah E
Melksham, UK421 contributions
Jan 2020 • Couples
We visited and it was a quick visit as only the great hall was open. We still enjoyed a good walk around the grounds and museum. The museum is really interesting. Such a pretty place t I walk around.
Written 19 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
David n
Manchester, UK4,777 contributions
Oct 2021
... but as this was included in the entrance fee, we did visit. It was good how the entrance staff pointed this exhibition out to us (and the temporary one on the upper floor in astronomy too). Anyhow, it traced the history of photography pretty well enough and it just goes to show how this form has development so rapidly over the past century.
Written 25 October 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Katie G
619 contributions
Apr 2022 • Couples
The price was including with the entrance ticket to Lacock Abbey. A very interesting display that's worth looking at. A pioneer in photography!
Written 19 April 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Normanta
London, UK518 contributions
July 2016 • Couples
We headed off to our first stop at Lacock Abbey. This was the home of Fox-Talbot a bright early Victorian who developed a reliable method of creating a photographic image. There was a small but interesting exhibition at the reception place. A Frenchman, Daguerre, also developed a photographic process much preferred by many as it gave a finer image. Fox-Talbot’s method created a negative that could be used as a master to create many positive images. This had much more commercial appeal. He eventually came up with the Calotype process which merged the two methods. He had a lot of legal problems in the end and this left him rather disillusioned.
The abbey itself was created in the 13th century and followed the Benedictine rule. Disestablished in the 16th century, it was purchased by a local merchant called Sharington who demolished the church alongside and built a tower and other rooms. It is a pleasant building but very uninspiring as a family home. Look out for the Brito. It's a 14th century dictionary of religious terms. Why it's here and not in the British Library as a national treasure, I don't know.
The latticed window that was the subject of Fox-Talbot’s first photo is there for all to take their own photo of.
We had a bit of lunch in the Stables, the associated cafe. It's National Trust standard but as it's on the village high street, there are other cafes and pubs to consider as well.
We looked in the botanical garden and very pleasant it was too. It is not very large but has handsome borders and a nice greenhouse with a splendid pitcher plant to gobble up insects. Fox-Talbot used flowers as a frequent subject in his photography.
For the little ones, there is acres of space to run around in.
The abbey itself was created in the 13th century and followed the Benedictine rule. Disestablished in the 16th century, it was purchased by a local merchant called Sharington who demolished the church alongside and built a tower and other rooms. It is a pleasant building but very uninspiring as a family home. Look out for the Brito. It's a 14th century dictionary of religious terms. Why it's here and not in the British Library as a national treasure, I don't know.
The latticed window that was the subject of Fox-Talbot’s first photo is there for all to take their own photo of.
We had a bit of lunch in the Stables, the associated cafe. It's National Trust standard but as it's on the village high street, there are other cafes and pubs to consider as well.
We looked in the botanical garden and very pleasant it was too. It is not very large but has handsome borders and a nice greenhouse with a splendid pitcher plant to gobble up insects. Fox-Talbot used flowers as a frequent subject in his photography.
For the little ones, there is acres of space to run around in.
Written 1 August 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hilary P
reading21 contributions
Aug 2017 • Family
We went many years ago to the photographic museum and it was then very hands on and we loved it, sadly no longer.
We went with our grandchildren aged 12yrs and 9yrs expecting an interactive child friendly vusual display which sadly no longer exists. .what a shame as all we found were cameras behind glass and large glossy information well beyond the average 12yr old, we lost the 9yr old within 4mns of getting in the door.
Not all your National Trust nembers are grown ups and you really missed out here especially as they loved the Abbey and house which interacts far more with the younger generation.
We went with our grandchildren aged 12yrs and 9yrs expecting an interactive child friendly vusual display which sadly no longer exists. .what a shame as all we found were cameras behind glass and large glossy information well beyond the average 12yr old, we lost the 9yr old within 4mns of getting in the door.
Not all your National Trust nembers are grown ups and you really missed out here especially as they loved the Abbey and house which interacts far more with the younger generation.
Written 2 August 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi can you just buy a ticket for the museum or do you have to buy a fully abbey ticket?
Written 24 June 2019
Hi
As the other answers point out the museum is covered as part of the overall entrance to the Abbey.
This is actually no bad thing as you can also visit the exact site of the first negative/positive photograph and follow the path of Fox Talbot as he made his photographic compositions. (organised tour available see the web site for details).
Written 24 June 2019
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