Yay I've gone bronze and no tanning bed in sight!!
Thanks to everyone for your ratings and comments...
Yay I've gone bronze and no tanning bed in sight!!
Thanks to everyone for your ratings and comments.
I always try to return all ratings and if I promise an E and don't get back to you feel free to give me a poke.
Sue
Member since:30.05.2009
Reviews:410
Members who trust:88
Anyone who has read any of reviews will have gathered that I am from Lancaster, well 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 a bustling university city with cobbled streets that are lined with shops, bars and restaurants
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 best known royal names associated with Lancaster is that of John O'Gaunt, the second Duke, whose son became King Henry IV in 1399.
THE HISTORY OF LANCASTER
Lancaster is a very historic little city. Lancaster began when the Romans built a fort in the area about 80 AD. The name of Lancaster was first recorded in the Domesday Book in 1086 as Loncastre means 'Roman fort on the River Lune', and the castle that dominates the city actually stands on the site of a Roman garrison. After the Romans came the Anglo-Saxons, whose
fortifications on the same site as the Romans and became the base for the present castle, begun in the 11th century. At the same time, the Priory was founded close to the castle.
At the nearby village of Heysham (part of Lancaster) are the ruins of a much earlier church, St. Patrick's Chapel, dating from the 8th century is one of the oldest surviving Christian buildings in north west England.
Lancaster Castle, partly built in the 13th century and enlarged later by Elizabeth I. For more details about the castle there is a more detailed account in my review on it. But it is famous as not only a castle it is also a working prison. The castle is probably best known as the site of the infamous Pendle witch trials in 1612. Tthe Lancaster Assizes, that is based in the castle sentenced more people to be hanged than any court in the country outside of London, giving Lancaster the nickname, "the Hanging Town".
Lancaster gained its first charter in 1193 as a market town and borough, but was not given city status until 1937.
Over the years, Lancaster saw its share of warfare. The Scots attacked it it twice during the 1300s, and it was heavily involved with the House of Lancaster during the Wars of the Roses in the latter half of the 15th century. A hundred later, the Castle was three times attacked by Royalist forces during the English Civil Wars, and in 1745 it was the turn of the Scots again, when Bonnie Prince Charlie briefly occupied the town during the Jacobite Rebellion of 1745.
In the18th Lancaster became very prosporous with its maritime trade. And there are lots of Georgian buildings in the city centre and along St. George's Quay by the river that date from this period. The main ones being the old Town Hall in Market Square, now the City Museum, and the old Custom House of 1764, which now serves as the Maritime Museum.
Cabinet-making, as well brought prosperity to the city with the famous Lancaster firm of Gillow's, they exported their products all over the world.
Shipbuilding and fishing - of which now there is neither in the city - were also prominant trades. During this short period of prosperity, which lasted only about 100 years in total, Lancaster was one of the richest towns in England.
"A few imporatant events in the 19th and 20th century"
Amenities in Lancaster improved during the 19th century. Gas street lighting was introduced in 1825. The first electric street lighting came in 1892. The first cemetery in Lancaster was laid out in 1855. Lancaster also gained a piped water supply in 1853.The Victorians were brought the popularity of the seaside resort to the country , and Morecambe became a very popular tourist attraction. Ripley Hospital was built in 1853 (it was actually an orphanage). Lancaster infirmary was opened in 1896. The railway to Preston opened in 1840 and a branch line to Morecambe opened in 1861. Trams began running in Lancaster in 1905, they stopped in 1930 and were replaced by buses. The Queen Victoria monument in Dalton Square was built in 1906. In 1909 a new Town Hall was built in Lancaster and in 1925 St Peter's Church was made a Roman Catholic cathedral. In 1923 Lancaster gained its first museum and in 1937 Lancaster was made a city. Lancaster University was founded in 1964. The Custom House was made into a Maritime Museum in 1985. In 1994 there were celebrations to commemorate the 1,000th anniversary of the foundation of the priory in Lancaster. The University of Cumbria was founded in Lancaster in 2007. Today Lancaster is a prosperous town with a population of 50,000.
Pictures of Lancaster in General
City Sky Line
LANCASTER VILLAGES
Here is a list of the rural villages and communities that are part of Lancaster & Morecambe
They are all lovely little villages with things of interest and goods walks.
THINGS TO DO IN LANCASTER
A visit to Lancaster Castle is a must, take a guided tour around the interior. Next to the castle is Lancaster Priory and Parish Church, an 11th century priory, this again is well worth a visit. Another tourist attraction is the grade I listed Judge’s Lodgings, it is now a Museum of Childhood with a collection of dolls and games from the 18th century. Other museums are the Lancaster Maritime Museum, the City Museum, The King's Own Museum, the Maritime Museum, the Cottage Museum and Roman Bath-House, the River Lune Millennium Park,is , a 15km foot and cycle path, you can visit. Ashton Memorialand the butterfly house in Williamson Park. where there are walks, lawns to play on, a putting green, an adventure playground, an ornamental lake, fountains, a waterfall and a large wooded area full of wildlowers. There is also the lovely Lancaster Canal that winds through the city, passing several pleasant canalside pubs and there are also calaboats thatoffer day trips on the canal and to the aquaduct, there is also the Carnforth to Lancaster Waterbus which sails between Carnforth and Lancaster, through Bolton-le-Sands and Hest Bank. You can take part in a Guided Walks around Lancaster which tell the story of the Lancashire Witch . There is also the Vue cinema, and two wonderful theatres The Dukes and the Grand Theatre - there are also regular perfornaces at the Shire Hall in the Castle. Lancasters great Street Market is held on Wednesdays and Saturdays. It's held in the pedestrian only area in the city centre, in Market Square. so you can buy local produce - from ostrich meat and homebaking to organic fruit and vegetables at good rates, as well as crockery, gifts, snacks and local crafts. The amount and types of stalls range from the Smoke House from Glasson Dock selling their goods, to the little fgrenchman with his fantastic bread, home made jewellery and much much more.
For night life there are loads of pups and clubs, and as it is a student town there are some very reasonable offers. The clubs are The Gregson, Liquid , Revolution, The Sugarhouse, Toast and The Warehouse. There are pubs around every corner - just a few of them are Bobbin, Britannia 101, The Golden Lion, John O'Gaunt, The Last Drop Inn , The Lounge, The Pub, The Robert Gillow, The Stonewell, The Sun, The Wagon and Horses, The Water Witch , The White Cross and The Yorkshire House - believe me, there are hundreds more!!!
EATING IN LANCASTER
I always say that you could eat out everyday for a year in a different Lancaster cafe or restaurant and there would still be somewhere else to try!! Around every corner you find another eating place. They range from the normal fast food outlets, to two Wetherspoon pubs, Tapas bars, Italia, Thai, Chinese, Indian, Mexican etc etc. I will try and give me some of my favourites, but itis a hard choice!! Verdi is a lovely Italian restaurant that does lunchtime and early evening special offers, it has a lovely outdoor patio area for the nicer days, Mung Mee - the fantastic Thai restaurant, the Sultan of Lancaster Restaurant and the Water Witch ( fantasrtic on a hot day sat by the canal - the tempura vegetables are really good!!)
SHOPPING IN LANCASTER
Lancaster is really rather small, and there are not a vast amount of shops or any big department stores, the biggest is BHS.
Some of the shops we have are Argos, Evans, Top Shop, Next, Monsoon, River Island, New Look, Burtons, M&S, Adams, Officers Club, Game and lots more. If we want some serious shopping we are only a short car, bus or train ride away from Preston where there are several lrge shopping areas. Our main supermarket in the city is Sainsburys, there is also a small Somerfields and two Boothes on the outskirts of the city.
GETTING AROUND
The city is a one way system, but once you are used to it it is very simple. Car parking is ample but it is all pay and display - you can get up to 2 hours free on Sainsbury's if you spend £5 in store. There is an excellent bus service.
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Jun 10th, 2009
(Jun 25th, 2009)
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