Let me begin by stating that I have no sense of direction and cannot drive so you will have to look up the exact locations of points of interest on Google maps or something similar! Fortunately, the centre of Lancaster is pretty easy to find your way around so I’ve managed not to get lost too ... Read review
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Advantages: Lovely people and nice places to visit Disadvantages: Might be a bit sleepy for some
...similar! Fortunately, the centre of Lancaster is pretty easy to find your way around so I’ve managed not to get lost too much in the 5 years I have lived here.
THE CASTLE:
I am lucky enough to work in Lancaster’s most interesting tourist attractions, Lancaster Castle. Building began on the castle in the 11th century and the Norman Keep still remains to this day. It is a fascinating building which comprises a castle, a crown ... ...THEATRES:
Speaking of theatre, Lancaster boasts two main theatres: The Grand and The Dukes. The Grand is a beautiful proscenium arch theatre which was rebuilt after being gutted by fire in 1908. It is currently owned and maintained by a drama society called Lancaster Footlights who put on regular shows as well as inviting touring companies and comedians to perform. The Dukes is much more modern and has a traditional rake theatre as well as ... more
Let me begin by stating that I have no sense of direction and cannot drive so you will have to look up the exact locations of points of interest on Google maps or something similar! Fortunately, the centre of Lancaster is pretty easy to find your way around so I’ve managed not to get lost too much in the 5 years I have lived here.
THE CASTLE: I am lucky enough to work in Lancaster’s most interesting tourist attractions, Lancaster Castle. Building began on the castle in the 11th century and the Norman Keep still remains to this day. It is a fascinating building which comprises a castle, a crown court and a Category C men’s prison which makes it truly unique! Tours are available around parts of the castle such as the old courtrooms and the dungeons which give visitors a flavour of the past. The tours are excellent and really informative and there is a castle gift shop from which you can buy souvenirs. The parts of the castle which are open to the public are also occasionally used as a backdrop for plays by theatre companies specialising in using unusual settings for theatre. I have seen a production of Hamlet at the castle which took the audience from the courts, around the ramparts and culminated with the final scene taking place in a dungeon which the audience standing in a gallery above. If you get the chance to see such a production I can assure you, you won’t be disappointed!
THE ASHTON MEMORIAL: Another place to visit is the Ashton Memorial which is an Edwardian folly perched on top of a hill. It offers spectacular views of the city and surrounding areas. There is a butterfly house and an aviary nearby as well as a small playground for children and a large expanse of grass perfect for summer picnics. Within the park surrounding the memorial there are clearings amongst the trees which have been designed for outdoor theatre.
THEATRES: Speaking of theatre, Lancaster boasts two main theatres: The Grand and The Dukes. The Grand is a beautiful proscenium arch theatre which was rebuilt after being gutted by fire in 1908. It is currently owned and maintained by a drama society called Lancaster Footlights who put on regular shows as well as inviting touring companies and comedians to perform. The Dukes is much more modern and has a traditional rake theatre as well as a round theatre, which accommodate some excellent productions and dance groups. The rake theatre is also used as a cinema showing arthouse and foreign language films as well as recent blockbusters.
FOOD AND DRINK: There are many good restaurants, cafes and coffee shops in Lancaster. My favourite restaurant is The Gatehouse which you can find by the canal. It offers contemporary English and Mediterranean cuisine in a very relaxed atmosphere and has an excellent wine list. As for cafes, The Sultan of Lancaster has a café/gallery below its main restaurant which offers a range of Asian dishes in a really beautiful setting. The Sun Hotel is one of Lancaster’s nicest bars and offers excellent breakfast, lunch and dinner menus. If you are looking for some entertainment whilst you have a drink, there are many open mic nights in places like The Golden Lion (Tuesdays) and The Stonewell Tavern (Wednesdays). The Yorkshire House offers regular rock gigs as well as improvised comedy theatre (Improv Xpress, third Sunday of every month).
LIVING IN LANCASTER: Lancaster is by far the nicest place I have ever lived. The people of Lancaster are very friendly and although it is a city there is a strong sense of community. The Gregson Centre is a community driven, co-operatively owned pub and restaurant which caters for everyone in the community with a number of regular classes including Salsa, choirs and kids group. This type of thing typifies Lancaster really. There are a lot of arty types as well as a large student community. I have not encountered any crime whilst living here and it is one of those places where you can go to the shops without having to worry about locking your door and hiding your valuables. You can find something to do on every night of the week and it’s not too far away from Preston and Manchester if you fancy something a bit more lively.
...the Historical City of Lancaster. Lancaster is a loverly mixture of history, contemporary culture and vibrant city. It has plenty of heritage to entertain all ages. There is everything you could want - castles, museums, shopping, entertainment and great food!
It is perfectly located between The Lakes and Manchester, meaning you can drive to either in a day and back comfortably with plenty of time to look around without feeling rushed. Below Are ... ...is extremely enchanting.
Lancaster Castle
Lancaster Castle is owned by Her Majesty the Queen, who is the 'Duke of Lancaster'. It is one Europe's longest serving operational prisons, still a working prison to this day. There are tales of witches who haunt the Castle, amongst these are the famous Pendle Witches, who were tried, convicted and sentenced to death here. They offer a guided tour (it has to be guided, as there are prisoners held in the ...
MattyP007 30.06.2008
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Lancaster in General
Advantages: A LOVELY FRIENDLY CITY Disadvantages: CAR PARKING
...a little village just ouside Lancaster actually!!
I have only lived here for three years and so am still getting to know the area - but I truly love it.
So I thought that I would share some information with you about this wonderful little city.
== LANCASTER ==
Lancaster the county town of Lancashire, in North West England. ( although Preston is in fact the administrative center for Lancashire), is the most northerly city in Lancashire, it is ... ...Lancaster lies on the lovely River Lune and has within its district lots of small towns and villages - including Morecambe - 3 miles away..
Lancaster was granted city status in 1937 for its "long association with the crown" and because it was "the county town of the King's Duchy of Lancaster" it has several ties to the British monarchy; the Duchy of Lancaster holds large estates on behalf of Queen Elizabeth, who is Duke of Lancaster. One of the ...
oldchem 10.06.2009 (25.06.2009)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Lancaster in General
Advantages: Good place to visit Disadvantages: not a large amount of shops
...as you get close to Lancaster the thing which dominates the sky line is the Ashton Memorial. The Ashton Memorial was commissioned by Lord Ashton as a tribute to his late wife. Lord Ashton became a millionaire producing oil cloth and linoleum which was exported from the port all over the world. Lancaster Castle occupies a city centre hilltop location on the site of three successive Roman forts. It consists of a group of historic structures, including ... ...castle is the location of Lancaster crown court which is still used to this day.
An interesting relic of the early days of the court is the branding iron in the dock, which consists of a metal holdfast designed to immobilise the wrist and fingers, whilst a red hot branding iron embossed with the letter M was applied to the brawn of the thumb. This identified the convicted person as a 'malefactor' or 'evil-doer.'
The Branding Iron was last used ...
mjc121 26.06.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Lancaster in General
Advantages: great history, good museums & places of interest Disadvantages: a penchant for half-building things
...can be no doubt that Lancaster is a beatiful city. It is steeped in history, with its fascinating ancient castle and its choice of museums and places of historical interest, including the magnificemt Ashton Memorial.
But you see, there's a problem. For some years something has been going a little awry. The shops, once brimming with new ideas and innovation, have all got a bit 'samey'. The traffic has increased enormously, leading to virtual gridlock ... ...to contend with one of its contractors going into liquidation. One of its two riduculous masts has been fitted and unfitted several times - things have clearly gone wrong again.
Pull your socks up Lancaster - or we'll just end up with a town full of unfinished buildi....... ...
djhendra 11.10.2000
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Advantages: Beautiful Disadvantages: It rains a lot
I've lived in Lancaster all my life and i have to say it's a truly beautiful city. Scattered all around the city are old builings including the famous castle, town hall and monuments. As any A-level historian knows Lancaster was a key location to the monarchs of the 15th and 16th centuries:the Wars of the Roses. However there are loads of things for young peple too! There are hundreds of pubs next door to each other which are quite useful when you're ... ...goes to, which doesn't exactly say much!!!!
I've visited many cities across the country and the big thing that I noticed is that lancaster is so much cleaner and prettier than any others I've seen. People come to talke for granted their home town but I will never again!!! ...
LouiseIngleby 13.07.2000
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