The Church of St.Cyriac was probably built before the foundation of Lacock Abbey in 1230. Dedicating a Church to St Cyriac is unusual in England and more commonly found in Normandy, suggesting that may be the original Church was Norman. Also some Norman stonework was found during restoration work in 1875. However the building seen today is largely from the 1500s with just the base of the tower and the North Transept as early English and there is also one early English stone in the Chancel.
The Lady Chapel is thought to date from around 1420- 1430. It includes a memorial from 1566 to Sir William Sharrington who was the first owner of the Abbey after it became a house following the dissolution of the abbey in 1539. Interestingly the large inscription plate is missing and was not there when John Aubrey, the anitquarian visited in the 1670s. Speculation exists that it may have been removed to make bullets for the civil war when there was a garrison at Lacock Abbey but who knows? His brother Henry became his heir when he died without have had any children of his own. It was one of his daughters who married John Talbot in the church in 1574.
The Transept roofs were raised to match the tall Nave with its clerestory in 1861 during a restoration project by Arthur Blomfield. The chancel was re-modelled in 1902 in memory of one of Lacock’s most famous residents William Henry Fox Talbot who died in 1877. The remodelling was done by Harold Brakespeare who wanted the look to be lighter and include a dedication to Fox Talbot. St Cyriac’s was the first church in the world to be photographed by Fox Talbot who lived in the village at Lacock Abbey. He was also Lay Rector for the Church which meant he had responsibility for the Chancel and entitled to receive the rectorial tithes of the Benefice and his family were Patrons for the Church. The Church Cottage with vestry was built in 1993. The Church also has connections to Awdry family related to the Rev Awdry of Thomas the Tank Engine fame. The Church itself has a centre aisle and two side asile’s as well an additional asile known as the Lackham Asile.
This old picture from c1902 shows Sir John Talbot (William Henry’s ancestor)’s monument (left) in its original position in the Lady Chapel complete with its outer casting next to the tomb of William Sharington. This was taken before the restoration of the Chancel which led to the monument being divided into two parts only the centre part remains in the church and was moved to the sanctury part of the chancel.
This is the same area of the church from 2025, where you can see the tomb has gone completely and the window is there instead. There was also second window now walled up on the outside behind the Sharington tomb. The top flume from the monument was just left in the churchyard until 1919 when following the end of the 1st world war it was presented to Lacock by Matilda Talbot to be used as an outer casting the war memorial where it is still in place today.
The Churchyard
The Churchyard was formally closed for burials in 1860 and sadly there is no full plan of burials known about at this time although we do have some records made at the end of the 1970s where an attempt was made to map the graveyard as much as possible at that time.
There are no Commonwealth War Graves in the graveyard. There is a private footpath into the back of the graveyard from Lacock Abbey via the Allottments. There is also a memorial garden where ashes can still be buried. Please note that many visitors look for the grave of William Henry Fox Talbot at the church but the churchyard was closed by the time he died. He is buried in Lacock Cemetary https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/13786704/william-henry_fox-talbot
Parish Records
The older parish records for St Cyriac’s are held at the Wiltshire History Centre in Chippenham, however we do have a transcript of what they contain held at the church for any enquiries please email info@lacockchurches.org.uk