Sights in Lancaster
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Williamson Park
Lancaster's highest point is the 22-hectare spread of Williamson Park , from which there are great views of the town, Morecambe Bay and the Cumbrian fells to the north. In the middle of the park is the Ashton Memorial, a 67m Baroque folly built by Lord Ashton (the son of the park's founder, James Williamson) for his wife.
reviewed
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A
Lancaster Castle
Lancaster's imposing castle was originally built in 1150. Later additions include the Well Tower, more commonly known as the Witches' Tower because it was used to incarcerate the accused of the famous Pendle Witches Trial of 1612, and the impressive twin-towered gatehouse, both of which were added in the 14th century. Most of what you see today, however, dates from the 18th and 19th centuries, when the castle was substantially altered to suit its new, and still current, role as a prison.
You can only visit the castle as part of a 45-minute guided tour, but you do get a chance to experience what it was like to be locked up in the dungeon.
reviewed
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B
Judges' Lodgings
Once the home of witch-hunter Thomas Covell (he who 'caught' the poor Pendle women), Lancaster's oldest town house, a Grade I–listed Georgian building, is now home to a Museum of Furnishings by master builders Gillows of Lancaster, whose work graces the Houses of Parliament. It also houses a Museum of Childhood, which has memorabilia from the turn of the 20th century.
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Tropical Butterfly House
The beautiful Edwardian Palm House, now the Tropical Butterfly House, is full of exotic and stunning species. Take bus 25 or 25A from the station, or else it's a steep ¾-mile walk up Moor Lane.
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C
Maritime Museum
The Maritime Museum, in the 18th-century Custom House, recalls the days when Lancaster was a flourishing port at the centre of the slave trade.
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D
Priory Church
Immediately next to Lancaster castle is the equally fine priory church, founded in 1094 but extensively remodelled in the Middle Ages.
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E
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Williamson Park & Tropical Butterfly House
Lancaster's highest point is the 22-hectare spread of this elegant park, from which there are great views of the town, Morecambe Bay and the Cumbrian fells to the north. In the middle is the Ashton Memorial, a 67m-high baroque folly built by Lord Ashton (the son of the park's founder, James Williamson) for his wife.
More beautiful, however, is the Edwardian Palm House, now the Tropical Butterfly House, full of exotic and stunning species. Take bus 25 or 25A from the station, or else it's a steep short walk up Moor Lane.
reviewed
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F
Maritime Museum
The 18th-century Custom House recalls the days when Lancaster was a flourishing port at the centre of the slave trade.
reviewed
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G
Lancaster Castle & Priory
Lancaster's imposing castle was originally built in 1150. Later additions include the Well Tower, more commonly known as the Witches' Tower because it was used to incarcerate the accused of the famous Pendle Witches Trial of 1612, and the impressive twin-towered gatehouse, both of which were added in the 14th century. However, most of what you see today dates from the 18th and 19th centuries, when the castle was substantially altered to suit its new, and still current, role as a prison. Consequently, you can only visit the castle as part of a 45-minute guided tour, but you do get a chance to experience what it was like to be locked up in the dungeon.
Immediately next to t…
reviewed
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