Lancaster is the county town of Lancashire - a market town of 50,000 on the River Lune, with a castle on the hill above, a Baroque church and Customs House below on the quayside, and the Lancaster Canal running north to Kendal and south to Preston. It is 55 minutes north of Manchester by train and substantially less discovered than the Lake District towns 20 miles further north.
Getting There
Avanti West Coast or Northern Rail from Manchester Piccadilly to Lancaster: 55 minutes (Avanti express) or approximately 75 minutes (Northern stopping service). Services run regularly. Lancaster station is a 15-minute walk from the castle, downhill through the city centre.
Lancaster Castle
Lancaster Castle (tours from £10, self-guided areas free) sits on the hill above the city and has been a fortified site since Roman times. The castle was in active use as a court and prison until 2011; the Crown Court moved out only recently. The Shire Hall (1796) contains a painted ceiling of coats of arms. The dungeon tours cover the castle's long history as the site of the Pendle Witch trials (1612) and subsequent executions.
The views from the castle walls north toward the Lake District fells and west toward Morecambe Bay are clear in good weather.
Priory Church of St Mary (free) is adjacent to the castle and contains Saxon doorway stonework from an earlier church on the site, medieval choir stalls, and views over the Lune valley.
The Quayside and Customs House
The Maritime Museum (entry approximately £5) in the Georgian Customs House on St George's Quay covers Lancaster's 18th-century trade as a significant Atlantic port - Lancaster's Georgian prosperity came largely from the West Indies trade. The quayside warehouses along the river front are the most complete Georgian port infrastructure in the north of England.
The Millennium Bridge provides a flat riverside walk east from the quay toward Skerton Bridge, with views of the castle on its hill.
The Canal Towpath
The Lancaster Canal runs north-south through the city, connecting to Kendal in the north (57 miles of towpath, no locks north of Preston). The towpath is flat tarmac or compacted gravel - a recovery walking route that can be extended as far as energy permits.
Lune Aqueduct (also called the Rennie Aqueduct): 1.5 miles north of the city centre along the canal towpath, across a flat section of the Lune plain. The aqueduct carries the canal 18 metres above the River Lune on five stone arches, constructed between 1793 and 1797 to John Rennie's design. At 183 metres long it was the largest aqueduct in England at the time of completion. The walk from the city centre along the towpath and back is approximately 3 miles - manageable at recovery pace.
Where to Stay
The Kings Arms Hotel on Market Street: Lancaster's main pub hotel, central and convenient. The Duke's Hotel on Sun Street: boutique option in a converted Georgian townhouse, near the castle. Number 3 York Place: guesthouse in the Georgian quarter, good value.
Where to Eat
Quite Simply French on St George's Quay: bistro-format French cooking on the waterfront, the best evening restaurant in Lancaster. The Borough on Dalton Square: gastropub with a good local ales selection. The White Cross on Quarry Road, canalside: converted mill pub with outdoor seating on the canal basin, the best lunch option in good weather.
Practical Notes
- Lancaster is 50 miles north of Manchester.
- North to the Lakes: Lancaster is the last station before the Lake District. Windermere is 45 minutes north by train (Oxenholme change). Extend the trip northward if energy allows.
- Exit: Return to Manchester (55-75 min), or continue south to Preston and change for other connections.
- Morecambe (5 miles west by bus): the Midland Hotel (Art Deco masterpiece on the seafront, restored 2008) and the RIBA Award-winning Eric Morecambe statue on the promenade - a seaside extension if the weather is clear.