Chippenham, Wiltshire: Staycation Inspiration

Planning a staycation this summer? Why don’t you make the best of a trip to see us at our Wiltshire showsite and take in some sights along the way?

Our showsite is situated just outside of the village of Lacock and within the Whitehall Garden Centre. The village itself is owned almost entirely by the National Trust and attracts visitors by virtue of its unspoiled appearance.

We’ve put together this guide with our pick of the all the best places to eat, see and visit. Make sure to check ahead for opening times, make a booking if necessary and stick to the social distance rules until further notice.

Lacock Abbey

This National Trust Country house with monastic roots is definitely worth a visit as it’s the oldest building in the village. William Henry Fox Talbot – a great photographer and inventor of the negative/positive process, lived and worked here and is recognised as a father of “modern” photography.

Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts fans will be thrilled to see in the past the Abbey has been used as a filming location for scenes set at Hogwarts. If you tire of the cloisters you can always lose yourself in the magnificent grounds.

Lacock Abbey, Lacock, Wiltshire. Staycation Inspiration by Malvern Garden Buildings

King John’s Hunting Lodge Tea Room

At this quaint medieval house with a “secret garden” you can look forward to mouth-watering morsel fit for a king! All ingredients are locally sourced if at all possible and they offer no less than 22 types of tea to accompany their scones and cream.

King John's Hunting Lodge, Wiltshire. Staycation Inspiration by Malvern Garden Buildings

George Inn

The George Inn is a proper English pub steeped in history. It was established in 1361 and has and has an amazing history and is faous for its medieval open fireplace with a dog wheel. Visitors are enthralled with tales about olden days, when meat was cooked on a spit which was turned by the wheel using specially bred dogs called Turnspit.

George Inn, Wiltshire. Staycation Inspiration by Malvern Garden Buildings

Lacock Bakery

The village of Lacock is great for independent shops. This bakery looks like it’s from a bygone era and bakes additive free bread and cakes on the premises. It’s the perfect destination if you’re looking to pick up some unique gifts. The shop is best known for Lacock Lardies and old-fashioned sweets.

Lacock bakery, Lacock, Wiltshire. Staycation Inspiration by Malvern Garden Buildings

Coco Chemistry at the Chocolate Barn

Coco Chemistry an award-winning artisan chocolatier founded by two chemists with years of teaching and product development experience. Looking for a change of focus they decided to turn their chemistry knowledge to the world of chocolate.Every item produced at Coco Chemistry meets exacting standards, perfectly tempered and bursting with bold flavours. They sell everything from truffles, to slabs, to salami rocky road!

Coco Chemistry, Wiltshire. Staycation Inspiration by Malvern Garden Buildings

Wiltshire Scrapstore

Wiltshire Scrapstore is an award winning environmental and community charity situated on the outskirts of Lacock.  They collect resources that would otherwise go to landfill and redistribute them for creative activities and projects of all sorts. They also sell upcycled items as gifts.

Scrapstore, Wiltshire. Staycation Inspiration by Malvern Garden Buildings

White Horse

A little further afield in Cherhill (eight miles from Chippenham), is the famous Chalk Horse. Cut in 1780 and dated the third oldest in the country, it was produced by removing a layer of grass and soil to reveal the underlying chalk – a hallmark of the Wiltshire Downs. The man responsible was the eccentric Calne resident Dr Christopher Alsop who it is rumoured bellowed instructions from the bottom of the slope using a megaphone.

White horse, Wiltshire. Staycation Inspiration by Malvern Garden Buildings

Got some good tips to take away?

Check out our other Staycation Inspiration tips for Greater London, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Staffordshire.

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