A FORMER tenant of a historic home in Lacock used in one of the Harry Potter films has accused the National Trust of neglecting the property and its gardens visited by thousands of people a year.
Deborah van der Beek, a sculptor who lived in the Grade II* listed Cantax House for 34 years, says the house still lies empty 14 months after she moved out and its beautiful gardens have been neglected.
The exterior of the Queen Anne house was used in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince for a scene where Harry and Dumbledore discover Horace Slughorn hiding from Death Eaters.
Cantax House has lain empty since Mrs van der Beek moved out in April 2022 to the London property she shares with her husband Andrew.
She had spent years designing the Cantax House gardens as a setting for her sculptures depicting horses, riders, ancient warrior queens, bulls and other mythical or legendary subjects.
Mrs van der Beek, 70, said: “Everything was in perfect condition. We were not allowed to touch it because it was a listed property but now it is all falling apart and the paint has almost gone.
“There were some stables which had beautiful stalls and mangers and hay feeders and it all got damaged because there was a hole in the roof and they mended it too late.
She said: “Since we left a year ago the situation has got even worse. It's terrible the way the trust has allowed things to slide. It is such a waste that nothing was done. It is so destructive.”
Since moving out, Mrs van der Beek says the beautiful gardens at the house have been completely neglected.
“Weeds are creeping in and they are almost impossible to move,” she said. “There are thousands of plants there, some of them rare, and special flowers.
“We used to open it up to visitors under the National Open Gardens scheme and had thousands of visitors from all over the world. We were one of the top earners in Wiltshire for that.”
A spokesperson for the National Trust said: “Cantax House has not yet been advertised for let on the open market. Surveys have been carried out and the buildings are listed for attention.
“However, as a charity with limited funds, our tenancy teams are prioritising lived-in properties to ensure the comfort of residents.
“The garden at Cantax House, created by previous residents, is in hand and contractors are scheduled to visit soon to carry out maintenance work.”
George Hardy, 73, the former landlord of The Sign of the Angel pub, said: 'They [the National Trust] have allowed Cantax House to fall into disrepair.
“It's very sad, because people flock from around the world to see this village, but they're letting much of it fall into ruin.”
Their concerns about 12 empty properties in the village were among the issues discussed at a tenant's meeting with the Trust on Wednesday (June 14).
It was attended by National Trust representatives, the local tenants association, and Patrick Holliday, of the Tenants Association of the National Trust (TANT).
Mr Hardy said the Trust had told them some of the empty properties needed work before they could be let and that it had failed to find suitable tenants for others.
The picturesque village is often used by TV and film crews as a location for blockbuster Hollywood films and UK television series.
Lacock Abbey was used for the interior of Hogwarts in all the Harry Potter films and also for The Crimes of Grindelwald Fantastic Beasts film.
Downton Abbey and Pride and Prejudice are among other films and TV series that have used Lacock as their setting.
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