XXXViii. MALMESBURY AND LACOCK. 



conventual church, the only one now in use, as far as he 

 knew. 



By the permission of Mr. C. H. Talbot the visitors then 

 explored some portions of Lacock Abbey, a thirteenth century 

 House for Augustinian nuns, the foundress of which was also 

 the first Abbess. 



At the Dissolution the Abbey and its lands were sold to 

 Sir William Sharington, who pulled down the church and 

 transformed the conventual buildings into a private dwelling. 

 Thus was preserved one of the most perfect survivals of the 

 monastic period. 



Sharington, a Court favourite of Henry VIII., had a 

 chequered career ; after his acquisition of Lacock he was 

 appointed in 1546 to be the head of the newly-constituted 

 mint at Bristol, a position which he occupied until the second 

 year of Edward VI., when he was dismissed in consequence 

 of malpractices at the mint under his control. He escaped 

 the death penalty awarded to his fellow-conspirator, Thomas, 

 Lord Seymour of Sudeley, and was eventually pardoned, 

 the estates being then restored to him. His initials W S 

 appear on the coins struck by him at Bristol, and it is a 

 curious fact that the same initials are to be seen upon his 

 tomb in St. Cyriac's Church and upon flooring tiles used by 

 him when altering the interior of the Abbey. 



Although the conventual church is no longer in existence, 

 the ancient cloisters are almost untouched, and are now 

 incorporated with the more recent Tudor mansion. The 

 chapter house, sacristy, calefactory or day room, and under- 

 croft, all with vaulted roofs, tell of the former magnificence 

 of the establishment. The dormitory and the refectory also 

 remain, but have been divided internally. 



Mr. Doran Webb, having completed his architectural and 

 historical narrative, led the way to Lacock village, where 

 he pointed out the " blind house," the Abbey barn, the 

 restored market cross, and several delightful houses in that 

 old-world spot. 





