THIS week takes us to the High Street in Lacock, with an archive picture dated around the turn of the last century, clearly showing one of the most photographed houses in the village, the Porch House.

Originally half timbered, it is shown in old prints as rendered but this has since been removed.

In the 1900s it was a smith and nail shop and horses were tied to the porch rails to wait their turn.

The High Street was formerly called New Market Place, and until the 18th century a cattle market was held where the school yard is now.

Rings to tether animals can still be seen in the wall.

The village school on the left close to the cross was built in 1824, financed by William Henry Fox Talbot, the forefather of photography.

Fox Talbot was born in 1800 and when he came of age it was suggested to him by the vicar of Lacock that he could mark his 21st birthday by building a school for the village children.

The school was built by a Mr Gale in 1824 at a cost of £100.

Stone and tiles from cottages demolished to make way for it were used in the new building.

By 1850 the school catered for over 140 pupils and in 1853 an extra room was built.

Very little has changed in our pictures, although gone are the iron railings at the Porch House, probably used for the war effort when steel was in short supply. The stone wall around the village school was added in 1905, which helps in dating the earlier photo.