| Great escapes: Lancashire 2 |
| Magical history tour |
| In contrast to Blackpool, the city of Lancaster is a veritable mine
of history, and offers a plethora of museums to guide you through it |
Across the Pennines from York, its main rival for `the title of ‘most beautiful city in the North', Lancaster has everything the White Rose capital has to offer - and more.
1. Back to the old days
Zero your trip meter as you exit Holgates Caravan Park and turn left down Cove Road. At 0.7miles turn
left into Park Road, then at 1.2 miles turn right at the T-junction into Red Bridge Lane. At 1.9 miles turn left down Storrs Lane, signposted Kendal. Pass Leighton Moss Nature Reserve, which is good for birdwatching, and at 5.1 miles turn left into Snape Lane.
At 5.7 miles turn right at the T-junction onto the A6. Take the second exit at the roundabout at 6.2 miles (towards the A6 Lancaster), the second exit again at the roundabout at 7 miles (signposted A601) and turn right at the third, at 7.9 miles, again for the M6 Lancaster.
At 12.3 miles turn left off the
M6 and follow signs to the A683 Lancaster. At 14.2 miles bear right, then left, then take the right-hand lane to the City Centre. At 15.4 miles turn left at the traffic lights into Market Street (which becomes Meeting House Lane) then left into Dallas Road and into the car park. (Charge: £2 for up to five hours.)
• On foot, leave the car park and walk up Dallas Road to the T-junction with Meeting House Lane, and turn right. Walk down the hill and take the first left, up Castle Hill. The Tourist Information Centre is on your right.
Now bear right, down Castle Hill: the Cottage Museum is on the corner.
The Cottage Museum is a
faithful recreation of a typical
19th-century artisan's family house and offers a fascinating insight into daily life in Lancaster over 100 years ago. Entry is 75p
for adults, 25p concessions. Opening hours: 2-5pm, daily.
2. Seen and not heard
Continue down Castle Hill. The Judge's Lodgings Museum is on your left, facing a small cobbled courtyard.
Supposedly the city's oldest town house, the Judge's Lodgings contains priceless Gillow furniture and is also home to the town's Museum of Childhood. (Adults £2, concessions £1.)
3. The Maritime Museum
Cross the cobbled courtyard and turn left down China Street, then left onto St George's Quay. Follow the road alongside the River Lune. Lancaster Maritime Museum is on your left, just after the George and Dragon pub.
Housed in the impressive
Custom House, this museum covers the history of the port, the local fishing industry and the canal, as well as the ecology of Morecambe Bay. (Adults £2, concessions £1.)
4. Pretty Priory
Walk back down St George's Quay, then turn right into the car park, signposted City Centre. Cross to the left of the car park, then follow the path, turning left at the T-junction where it joins the cycle track. Walk up the steps in the direction of the Castle
and Priory, continue past the sign to the Roman Baths, and at the top of the hill you will see Lancaster Priory
on your left.
This church is thought to date from Saxon times, though the bulk of the building is from the 15th century. Among its features are fine, stained-glass windows and
ornately carved choir stalls.
5. Every witch way
Continue along the footpath - the Castle is a short way ahead.
Lancaster Castle was the scene of the famous Witches' Trial of 1612 which resulted in the hanging of ten local men and women, including the famous Pendle Witches, found guilty of witchcraft under a ruling by James I. The
castle still houses a working court and may be visited by guided tour. Weekday opening times vary, depending on court sittings, though 50-minute tours are usually available every half hour from 10.30am until 4pm. (Adults £4, concessions £2.50.)
6. The City Museum
Continue around the perimeter of the castle and turn left onto Castle Park. At the end of the road, turn right back down Castle Hill, then left down Market Street. Continue, crossing Church Street, and on your left you will see the City Museum, overlooking Market Square. Take time to investigate Bashful Alley and Sun Street for their cafés, and the many shops around the square.
Housed in the Georgian splendour of the former Town Hall, the City Museum contains archaeological collections and displays presenting the history of Lancaster and Lancashire's northern rural regions. Admission is free.
7. A Gothic classic
Continue down Market Street, through the St Nicholas Arcades, then turn right down Great John Street and left at the second set of traffic lights, onto Nelson Street. Turn right after the Town Hall, down Robert Street, then left at the T-junction along Quarry Road. After crossing the bridge, turn left along St Peter's Road. The Cathedral is ahead, on your right.
This beautiful cathedral, built
in 1859, is a fine example of
19th-century Gothic architecture. The ornate altar piece in the Blessed Chapel of the Sacrament is particularly striking.
8. A large token of affection
Continue along St Peter's Road, then turn right at the crossroads, up East Road. Turn right again at the next
crossroads, into Wyresdale Road,
signposted Ashton Memorial Car Park. Turn left at the large gates on the brow of the hill and enter Williamson Park. Follow the footpath and as you walk up the hill you will see the Ashton Memorial ahead of you, facing the Butterfly House.
The Ashton Memorial, which was commissioned by Lord Ashton as a tribute to his late wife, is a monument of which any city would be proud . The Butterfly House opposite is a delight for young and old, with a special ‘Mini-Beast House' for children, displaying scorpions, spiders and leaf-cutting ants. (Adults £3.75, children £1.75, concessions £2.75.)
Follow the path opposite the Butterfly House, towards the Sundial. This affords some excellent views and the chance to try telling the time with your own shadow. Continue around the perimeter, then head back down the hill, taking the left fork about 100 yards after exiting the Park, down
East Road.
Follow the road back though town
(it becomes Nelson Street, Brock Street and Common Garden Street) where you will pass more shopping opportunities. At the T-junction with King Street, turn left then immediately right, up Middle Street. Turn left again at the T-junction along the High Street and follow it round to the right and down the hill, turning right at the T-junction onto Dallas Road and back to the car park.
1. HEADERHERE
• Back to Holgate
Back in the car, zero the trip meter and turn right into Dallas Road. At 0.2 miles turn right into Meeting House Lane, then left at the traffic lights, into China Street. Follow the road round to the right, then take the left-hand lane for the road to Carnforth (A6). At 1.2 miles get into the right-hand lane,
signposted M6 Kirkby Lonsdale,
then switch to the left-hand lane
and at 3 miles join the motorway, heading for Kendal.
At 7 miles take the A601 (at Exit 35) signposted Carnforth and Morecambe,
turning left at the roundabout at 7.3miles. At 8.2 miles take the
second exit at the roundabout, signposted A6 Milnthorpe, then at
9 miles follow the road to the left, again signposted A6 Kendal and Milnthorpe. At 10.1 miles turn left, up Dykes Lane, then right at the T-junction at 10.5 miles and down Yealand Road. At
13.4 miles turn right at the T-junction onto Red Bridge Lane, signposted Holgates. At 14.1 miles turn left onto Park Road, then at 14.6 turn right into Cove Road. Holgates Caravan Park is
on the right at 15.3 miles. |
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Distance 30.6 miles driving,
3.5 miles walking
Time 6 hours
Start/finish Holgates Caravan Park
Suitable for All the family
Refreshments
Maritime Museum Café
Tel 01524 646637
Butterfly House Café,
Williamson Park
Tel 01524 33318
O'Malley's Café, Bashful Alley
Tel 01524 365561
Elliot's, Market Street
Tel 01524 36092
Sun Café, Sun Street
Tel 01524 845599
Sunbury Coffee House,
Sun Street
Tel 01524 843312
Attractions
Cottage Museum
Tel 01524 64637
Judge's Lodgings
Tel 01524 32808
Maritime Museum
Tel 01524 64637
Lancaster Priory
Tel 01524 65338
Lancaster Castle
Tel 01524 64998
City Museum
Tel 01524 64637
St Peter's Cathedral
Tel 01524 61860
Ashton Memorial/Williamson Park
Tel 01524 33318
Tourist Information
Lancaster Tourist Information Centre
Tel 01524 32878
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