Lancaster’s Big 5

Lancaster is usually overshadowed by the larger cities in England’s north-west. But the county capital of Lancashire is a fine place to add to a travel itinerary in this part of the world. King Charles III thought so too. The monarch, who’s also the Duke of Lancaster, recently called in on his first official visit to Lancashire since his coronation. Here are five highlights.

LANCASTER CASTLE

This acclaimed visitor attraction occupies a historically strategic position, crowning a hill above the River Lune, which flows to the nearby Irish Sea. The ancient Romans built a fortress on this site and there are remains of Roman baths by the castle, which was started by the Normans but mostly constructed in the 15th century under King Henry IV.

At his June visit, Charles was handed the keys to the castle in front of the John O’Gaunt gateway, an entrance named after Henry VI’s father, the founder of the House of Lancaster.

Join a tour to discover the fascinating past of the castle, which was Europe’s oldest functioning prison until it was decommissioned in 2011 and still has a working courtroom. Famous trials held here over the centuries include those of so-called “Pendle Witches” convicted and sentenced to death in 1612.

HISTORIC QUARTER

A short stroll down from the castle has you in the city’s compact central core, which is blessed with more than 300 heritage-listed buildings, mostly dating from the Georgian age when Lancaster was a prosperous port. Many are now home to a variety of shops, bars, eateries and cultural draws.

Call in for a caffeine boost at Atkinsons Coffee Roasters and Tea Merchants, which was founded in 1837 and has a few addresses around town, including its original cafe, shop and roastery on China Street and at the ornate Music Room on Sun Square, a tucked-away spot off Market Street.

After a pint? There are numerous watering holes to choose from, including Ye Olde John O’Gaunt, while food options in Lancaster range from traditional pub grub and modern British menus to cuisines from across Europe and Asia (the latter are especially popular with international students attending the city’s university).

STORIES FROM THE PAST

Be sure to pop into the Lancaster City Museum, whose galleries are set across a handsome late 18th century landmark on Market Square. Exhibits and information panels chart episodes from Lancaster’s history, from the Romans and Vikings to the medieval royals and Georgian merchants.

A surprising fact about Lancaster - considering how boat traffic here is minimal these days - is that it was once England’s fourth busiest port (after London, Bristol and Liverpool). Like the others, it was mired in the transatlantic slave trade. Ocean-going vessels would dock here with tobacco, sugar, rum and mahogany from North America and the Caribbean (while textiles from the factories of Lancashire and Yorkshire would be exported overseas).

Lancaster’s links with slavery are explored both at this museum and the Maritime Museum, housed at a former customs house and warehouse on St Georges Quay on the south bank of the River Lune.

WATERWAYS

The Lune silted up before the Victorian age (and the British Empire) reached its zenith, sparking the downfall of Lancaster as a vibrant port. But the river still flows to the coast and you can walk or cycle along scenic riverside paths.

If you do have two wheels, one possible route forms a (mostly flat) 19km loop that takes you by the Lune to the seaside town of Morecambe. After fish and chips there, you can pedal north along the seafront promenade by Morecambe Bay up to the village of Hest Bank, where you can join the towpath of the Lancaster Canal, which was built so traders weren’t so reliant on the tidal patterns and silting tendencies of the River Lune.

Expect a rush of bucolic scenery by the canal, from cattle grazing in rolling farmland to waterfowl gliding and nesting. A highlight of this loop is crossing the Lune Aqueduct, an engineering wonder from the 1790s which takes the canal nearly 20m above the river north of Lancaster.

You can call in for a well-deserved drink at the White Cross, a canalside pub in a converted cotton warehouse close to Lancaster Cathedral.

WILLIAMSON PARK

A steep uphill ride (or walk) up from the cathedral brings you to one of the most beautiful public parks in the north of England.

Commanding spectacular views over the countryside, the distant fells (peaks) of the Lake District and the Irish Sea, Williamson Park spreads across 22ha with contrasting sections, from sloping lawns to shaded woodland. Its piece de resistance is the magnificent Ashton Memorial, a 67m-high folly that has been dubbed the “Taj Mahal of the North”, and with its wedding cake-like neoclassical features, wouldn’t look out of place in Rome or Vienna. Built by Lord Ashton (a wealthy industrialist and son of the park’s founder, James Williamson), this Edwardian gem can be seen for many kilometres and usually catches the eyes of passengers on the trains passing through Lancaster, which is on Britain’s west coast mainline and has regular services between London Euston and Glasgow, as well as trains to Manchester, Leeds and Windermere in the Lake District.

fact file + To help plan a trip to Lancaster and Lancashire, see visitlancashire.com + For more information on visiting Britain, see visitbritain.com