Lacock — Fox Talbot's Lost Negative
Uncover the cryptic clues hidden by William Henry Fox Talbot in Lacock's medieval streets to recover his lost photographic negative, before a rival inventor claims his legacy forever.
📱 1 to 10 phones · 1 team per phone · Independent codes
In 1835, within the ancient walls of Lacock Abbey, William Henry Fox Talbot captured the world's first photographic negative—a breakthrough that sparked a secret race for photographic supremacy
Lacock — Fox Talbot's Lost Negative
You are a trusted assistant to William Henry Fox Talbot, in Lacock, 1840, tasked with recovering a lost negative that could revolutionize art history.
Your quest begins at Lacock
Delve into Lacock village, the birthplace of photography, where medieval vaults and Jacobean manors whisper the secrets of image pioneers.
A game, a guided tour and a heritage guide — all in one
You're not just buying an escape game. You're carrying a living guide — historical anecdotes, forgotten legends, key monuments, hidden architecture — unfolding as you go.
At each stop, places ordinary guides miss — secret façades, sculpted crests, alleys steeped in history.
Every riddle is rooted in a real historical fact or local legend. You leave with dozens of stories to tell.
Learn to read buildings — flamboyant Gothic, Baroque, Art Deco — like a real art historian, while having fun.
Walk through the city like a novel's character — every alley becomes a stage, every square a theatre.
A voice walks with you at every step, tells the story of each place, reads clues, adds a cinematic feel.
Keep access to the guide & game for 1 year. Come back any time, share it with friends.
« You will not leave this city the way you entered it. »
How does it work?
Explore the city on foot solving puzzles based on real historical facts. No locked room — the city is your playground.
No app to download. Play directly from your browser. Guided step by step, at your own pace.
One purchase per phone is enough. Play with family, friends or as a couple — everyone participates.
Point your phone at the façade: a historical character appears and speaks to you in your language. Golden letters magically write themselves on the wall to reveal the puzzle answer.
Stuck? Progressive personalised hints. The character repeats the puzzle on demand — at your own pace.
French, English, German, Spanish, Italian + 27 other languages auto-translated by AI.
Want to go deeper?
Places tied to your adventure — optional entries, totally up to you · per person
The story that haunts this land
Your adventure begins at Lacock's Market Cross, a medieval monument erected in the 14th century. This octagonal stone structure, typical of English market crosses, was the central point for public announcements and the village's weekly market. Located at the main crossroads, near High Street, this site immediately immerses you in the historical atmosphere of Southwest England. The first clues of your augmented reality GPS treasure hunt are revealed here, guiding you towards the secrets of Lacock, a National Trust property whose heritage is intimately linked to the history of photography.
Continue towards Lacock Abbey, founded in 1232 by Ela, Countess of Salisbury, as an Augustinian nunnery. Converted into a family home after the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1539, it became the property of William Henry Fox Talbot in 1835. It was in this ancestral home that Talbot, a pioneer of photography, invented the calotype in 1841. This historic site, also famous as a Harry Potter filming location, offers an insight into the origins of modern imaging. Every corner of Lacock Abbey is a key stage in your exploration of the birthplace of photography.
Immediately adjacent to the Abbey, the Fox Talbot Museum, located in its outbuildings, is an essential stop. This museum, dedicated to William Henry Fox Talbot, traces the beginnings of photography. You will discover free exhibitions, including the Talbot Catalogue Raisonné, with thousands of digitized photos from the Bodleian Library. This site highlights the first calotypes taken by Talbot at Lacock Abbey as early as 1844. It is here that your quest for the lost negative takes on its full meaning, at the heart of this Wiltshire heritage site.
Your journey then leads you to St Cyriac's Church, a parish church built mainly in the 15th century, with Norman elements dating back to the 12th century. This Anglican church, which has served the Lacock community since the Middle Ages, is located in the heart of the historic village, near the Market Cross and Lacock Abbey. The Lacock Abbey Cloisters, with their 13th-century Gothic vaults, are also a key site. Preserved intact since 1232, they were a Harry Potter filming location (1998-2002) and are decorated with medieval carved bosses, providing an ideal setting for augmented reality clues.
Finally, your adventure takes you to The George Inn, a historic 15th-century pub, one of the oldest in the village. This timber-framed building, typical of Wiltshire's vernacular architecture, is located on High Street, in the pedestrian area around the Market Cross. After solving the mystery of the lost negative, you will not only have covered 1.5 km and ~105 minutes of treasure hunt in Lacock, but also discovered the rich heritage of this Southwest England village, from its medieval foundations to its central role in the birthplace of photography. A truly interactive exploration of this Wiltshire heritage site.
The Route
8 stages through the city
The gameplay: AR, camera, hidden clues
At each stop, open your phone camera: an augmented reality character appears on the façade and speaks your language. Hunt the clue — it materializes as golden letters on the real wall or floats in front of you. When you find it, the phone vibrates, an AR chest opens and reveals your answer fragment. 8 stops, 8 clues to find with the camera, 1 final code.
The stops on your route are a surprise. You'll discover them one by one, guided by your phone, starting from the meeting point.
How does it work with a group?
One phone = one team. Pick the number at checkout (1 to 10).
Solo, or a group sharing the screen. One team, one code.
Family, couple, or 2-3 teams competing. Each phone has its own code and its own score.
Friends, bachelor/bachelorette, small office outing — each their own code, each plays at their own pace. Tiered pricing then €6 flat per phone from the 6th.
- ✓All codes are independent — play at the same time OR separately, each team advances at its own pace.
- ✓Leaderboard between your teams + global game leaderboard — each score appears in the public ranking.
- ✓More than 10 phones or need a personalized quest? Discover custom tours.
Ready to live this adventure?
Get my code · 12€No calendar booking. Code sent immediately by email.
🔒 Secure payment · Code in 5 min · Free cancellation
Practical info
Why this route?
Dawn of Photography
Following the footsteps of the world's first photographs and the invention of photography.
Timeless Village
Explore a preserved medieval village, an open-air film set, a source of inspiration.
Inventive Spirit
Follow in the footsteps of William Henry Fox Talbot, a visionary genius and inventor.
Light reveals what the eye cannot see.
Reconstruct the world's first image.
9 features nobody else has
OddballTrip combines gamified play, augmented reality and AI. All our competitors deliver 1 or 2 of these angles. We deliver all 5.
AR treasure chest
A golden chest floats in front of the monument. Tap → opening animation → reveals a secret message.
AR narrator character
Point your phone at the façade: a knight, witch, monk, sailor, detective or ghost appears full-screen and speaks to you in your language with their dedicated ElevenLabs voice (each character has their own unique voice) — your living guide.
Magic golden letters
At the puzzle climax, golden letters magically write themselves on the real wall — that's the puzzle answer. An unforgettable visual effect.
Written + audio narration
Every puzzle available as text AND voice-over: read at your own pace or listen eyes-free while walking. Great in groups and for accessibility.
360° radar + vibration
A mini-radar shows the target even behind you, and the phone vibrates when you aim in the right direction.
Heritage storytelling
Every puzzle weaves in real historical facts (architecture, era, anecdotes). You learn by playing — like a gamified audioguide.
Progressive AI hints
3 levels of AI-generated help: vibe → where to look → answer format. You're never stuck.
AR selfie memento
At the end of the game, capture a selfie with OddballTrip banner + mascot, shareable on Instagram, TikTok.
Zero app to install
PWA technology: open the link, it plays in your browser. Same quality as an app, no App Store hassle.
Frequently asked questions
Q01Do I need to download an app?
No, never. You get a link, you click, it plays in your browser. That's the point of a PWA: same as an app, without the hassle.
Q02Does it work offline?
GPS yes (handled by your phone). Maps yes (tiles cached). AI and hints need an intermittent 4G connection.
Q03How long does a game take?
1 h 30 to 2 h 30 depending on your pace. The timer runs but only for the leaderboard — you play at your own tempo.
Q04What happens if I'm stuck?
You get 3 levels of hints per puzzle (increasing penalty). If truly stuck, you can skip the step (45-min penalty but you keep going).
Q05What's the age range?
From 12 without an adult, from 6 with an adult reading puzzles. Works for families, couples, friend groups, companies.
Q06What if my city isn't in the catalogue?
Pre-register or contact us — we'll email you as soon as your city is live.
Q07What is augmented reality exactly?
Point your phone at the façade: a historical character appears full-screen and speaks to you in your language. At the puzzle climax, golden letters magically write themselves on the real wall — that's your answer. After each puzzle solved, a treasure chest floats in front of you. Seeing is believing.
Avis des aventuriers
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Your turn to play
Delve into Lacock village, the birthplace of photography, where medieval vaults and Jacobean manors whisper the secrets of image pioneers.
1 purchase = 1 phone. Play several on the same device.
No calendar booking. Code sent immediately by email.
🔒Secure payment · Code in 5 min · Free cancellation
🪙+24 TripCoins granted with your booking
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