Lancaster
 Castles |
The Roman's built a camp castrum by the River Lune, and it was from this that Lancashire's ancient county town derives its name. The Red Rose city of Lancaster has an important place in English history and has retained close links with the monarchy. As early as the 10 th century Athelston, grandson of Alfred the Great, had lands in the area. During the reign of William the Conqueror, large areas of present-day Lancashire were presented to his cousin Roger of Pitou by a grateful king, Roger made his base at Lancaster. The first Earl of Lancaster was Edmund, youngest son of Henry III, and the title eventually passed to John of Gaunt, who persuaded Richard II to give him the right to pass the title onto his eldest male descendent. Now a dukedom, the present Queen still retains the title of Duke of Lancaster.
Lancaster Castle is an imposing 11 th century medieval edifice, constructed by the Normans to withstand Scottish invaders, and built on the site of the former Roman encampment; glowering down from its high point, its shadow dominates the ancient grey city below. The castle gateway, towers and banqueting halls were 14 th century additions, and John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster and father of Henry IV, further strengthened and enlarged the castle in the 15 th century. In the 16 th century the last Tudor monarch, Elizabeth I, again increased the fortifications as a defence against the impending Spanish Armada; in particular, the huge square Norman keep was raised in height and impregnability. In the 18 th century, Lancaster Castle was home to a prison and the county courts; remarkably, most of the building still functions as a prison, although certain sections are now open to the public. These latter include the 18 th century Shire Hall, the cells where the Witches of Pendle were imprisoned and the Crown Court which witnessed the witch trials, as well as those of Abbot Paslow of Whalley in 1536, numerous Catholic priests in the 16 th and 17 th centuries, and the more recent trial of the Birmingham pub bombers in 1975. On a gruesome note the ‘Drop Room', where condemned prisoners were prepared for the gallows, is also open for public inspection.
Sharing the hill with Lancaster Castle is the sublime Priory Church of St Mary, which once served a Benedictine priory, established here in 1094. Much of the present church dates from the 14 th and 15 th centuries, and incorporates a Saxon doorway together with fragments of Anglo-Saxon crosses, magnificent wood-carving on 14 th century choir stalls, and some very fine needlework. The Priory tower was rebuilt in 1759 as a landmark for ships navigating the River Lune, while nearby stand the remains of a Roman bathhouse.
From Castle Hill, a road leads to the tree-lined St George's Quay on the banks of the Lune. Here, Lancaster's rich maritime history is celebrated in great stone warehouses, but most especially in the 18 th century Custom House, with its graceful Ionic columns housing the award-winning Maritime Museum. This charming building is a reminder that Lancaster was once a busy port, handling a greater tonnage of shipping than Liverpool.
Small and compact, the city of Lancaster is a visitor's dream, with its variety of museums and wealth of interesting buildings all within easy reach of each other. The City Museum, based in the Market Place, occupies the Old Town Hall built between 1781/3; nearby is the Museum of the King's Own Royal Regiment, a regiment based in Lancaster from 1880 onwards. The Judge's Lodging in Church Street, is a gracefully proportioned building dating from the 1620's; it now houses two separate museums, the Museum of Childhood and the Gillow and Town House Museum. Lancaster has many fine Georgian houses reflecting the wealth of the city during this period. The Music Room in Sun Street is an exquisite early Georgian building, originally designed as a pavilion in the long vanished garden of Oliver Marton - it is particularly noted for its superb decorative plasterwork. The Friend's Meeting House, standing in Meeting House Lane, dates from 1690.
On the eastern side of the city is the high-domed Ashton Memorial, its huge green copper dome remains a landmark for miles around. It was opened in 1909 in memory of the Williamson family who gave the city the fine park, in which the memorial stands, and offers superb views over Morecambe Bay and toward the Lakeland Hills. Another place for the whole family to visit is Lancaster Leisure Park, 42 acres of fun and adventure.