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Castle
Lancaster Castle
Medieval castle on the site of Roman forts, a prison until 2011, where the Pendle Witches were tried; interiors by guided tour only.
A mini guide to
Lancaster and Morecambe
A historic city with a castle and museums, and a seaside town on the sands of Morecambe Bay
Photos
1 / 8Welcome to the area
A historic city with a castle and museums, and a seaside town on the sands of Morecambe Bay
Lancaster grew up around its castle on a hill above the River Lune, on the site of Roman forts. The castle was a prison until 2011 and its courts tried the Pendle Witches in 1612; most of the interiors are seen on a guided tour. Around it are Lancaster Priory, the Judges' Lodgings, the City Museum in the old town hall and the Maritime Museum in the Custom House on St George's Quay. Williamson Park, with the Ashton Memorial, looks over the city to Morecambe Bay.
Morecambe is four miles west, with frequent buses and trains from Lancaster. Its promenade, over five miles long, has the Eric Morecambe statue, the Stone Jetty and the restored Art Deco Midland Hotel of 1933, with the Victorian Winter Gardens theatre nearby. Morecambe Bay is the UK's largest area of intertidal sand and mud. Heysham, just south, has the ruined St Patrick's Chapel and its rock-cut graves on the headland.
Highlights
Start here
If you only have a few hours, these are good places to begin.
Church
Lancaster Priory
Grade I listed parish church of Lancaster, the Priory Church of St Mary, next to the castle; it holds free concerts.
Museum
Judges' Lodgings
Lancaster's oldest town house, built around 1625, later home to visiting assize judges; Gillows furniture and a Museum of Childhood.
Museum
Lancaster City Museum
City history from prehistory to today in the Georgian former town hall on Market Square, with the King's Own Royal Regiment Museum.
Directions Website Report a problem with Lancaster City Museum
Museum
Lancaster Maritime Museum
The port's history, the canal, Morecambe Bay fishing and Lancaster's role in the slave trade, in the 1764 Custom House on St George's Quay.
Directions Website Report a problem with Lancaster Maritime Museum
Park and monument
Williamson Park and the Ashton Memorial
Park of 54 acres with the domed Ashton Memorial, built 1907-1909, a butterfly house, a mini zoo and views over Morecambe Bay.
Directions Website Report a problem with Williamson Park and the Ashton Memorial
Find your way
On the map
The map shows Lancaster and Morecambe and the streets around it. The Getting there page lists nearby stops and stations.
Insider tips
Before you go
1
Join a castle tour on the day
Lancaster Castle tours cannot be booked: buy tickets on site, first come first served. The courtyards and café are free; dogs are not allowed, except assistance dogs.
2
Never walk out on the sands alone
Visit Lancaster and Morecambe Bay says to cross the bay only with a guide: the tide comes in fast and there is quicksand.
3
Dogs and the summer beaches
Dogs are kept off Morecambe's South and North beaches from 1 May to 30 September and must be on a lead on the promenade.
4
Check the Judges' Lodgings season
The museum opens Thursday to Sunday from April to November and on Fridays in winter; access is limited, with no lift.
Tips from the Britlens editors
Explore this guide
Everything for Lancaster and Morecambe
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Photo credits
- Lancaster and Morecambe (area photo): Secretlondon, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Lancaster Castle: Rwendland, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Lancaster Priory: The wub, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Judges' Lodgings: The wub, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Lancaster City Museum: The wub, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Williamson Park and the Ashton Memorial: Mark Longair from London, United Kingdom, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Lancaster Cathedral: The wub, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Lune Aqueduct: Stevekraken, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Lancaster Grand Theatre: Peter Bond, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Eric Morecambe statue: John M Wheatley, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Stone Jetty: JThomas, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Morecambe Winter Gardens: Phantom56798, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- St Patrick's Chapel, Heysham: David Rogers, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- St Peter's Church, Heysham: The wub, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Blackpool: Michael D Beckwith from England, CC0, source
Photos from Wikimedia Commons, used under the licences shown. All photo credits
Keep exploring Blackpool and the Lancashire coast