Local News · Chippenham
National Trust seeks permanent status for popular Lacock Abbey visitor path
By Swindon Now Editorial Team · Published
The National Trust has submitted plans to formalise a temporary walkway between the Fox Talbot Museum and Lacock Abbey, with a public consultation period now open.
The National Trust is seeking planning permission to turn a temporary visitor route at one of Wiltshire's most significant heritage sites into a permanent feature. The organisation has submitted an application to Wiltshire Council to formalise the pathway connecting the Fox Talbot Museum and the historic Lacock Abbey.
This route has been in place on a temporary basis for the last two years to manage visitor traffic at the site, which welcomes between 230,000 and 250,000 people annually. According to the planning documents submitted on 22 October, the trust intends for the new path to serve as a year-round fixture, designed to improve accessibility and better accommodate high visitor volumes.
The proposal specifies that the path would be raised by an average of 100mm. It is designed to match existing infrastructure at the abbey, featuring an aggregate base finished with hoggin, a form of fine gravel. The trust stated that the established route has already proven successful in improving the flow of people across the grounds, and the move to permanent status is aimed at further enhancing accessibility for those with limited mobility.
Wiltshire Council is now inviting feedback on the proposal as part of the formal planning process. Members of the public who wish to comment on the development have until 20 November to submit their views.
Source: Gazette & Herald — Chippenham · View original