In 1196, 9-year-old Ela was hidden away in France after becoming the third Countess of Salisbury. 

After being discovered and brought back to England by a knight who supposedly sang underneath windows to find her, Ela went on to become one of the thirteenth century's most influential women. 

As well as being a peeress, Ela is also known for being the Sheriff of Wiltshire, breaking social norms and defying the intensely patriarchal society she was in. As the King's representative in the county, she would’ve been responsible for upholding the Crown's law and bringing its enemies to justice, supervising the royal lands in the area, and much more. 

Ela was incredibly powerful, assertive, resolute and devout – she lay the foundation stones for two religious houses, more than 16 miles apart, in a single day. The first was Hinton Priory in Bath, and the second was Lacock Abbey in Wiltshire, where less than ten years later, Ela was elected its first abbess. 

National Trust Historian Helen Antrobus heads to Lacock to discover the story behind this medieval marvel. 

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Production 

Presenter: Helen Antrobus 

Producer: Jack Glover and Lily Long 

Sound Designer: Jesus Gomez 

Contributor: Emma Zadeh 

Discover More 

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/wiltshire/lacock 

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/discover/history/people/remarkable-women-in-history 

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/discover/history/what-happened-in-a-medieval-abbey-church 

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