A PICTURE FROM THE PAST

My plan for the weekend was to visit Lancaster, a historic city located in the northwest of London. It was a four-hour drive from our home. I visited Lancaster many years ago, but when I entered the city it did not change. It was the same as I remembered, a congested city. We crept along the one-way until I found a restaurant to grab a quick snack.

The castles in Lancaster are owned by the Duchy of Lancaster, and some of it is leased to the Lancashire council. In 2011, a substantial part of the building was given to Her Majesty’s prison service. The tour of the castle costs £8 and lasts for an hour and a half. When you leave the castle, there’s a place called Judges’ Lodgings, which is the oldest house in Lancaster, dating all the way back to the 17th century, it was home to Thomas Cowell who was a notorious hunter and keeper of the castle of Lancaster. It was used by judges as an assembly till 1975 when the building was converted into a museum. It was then closed due to council rollbacks in 2016, but it is planned to reopen in the near future.

While returning to the town centre, we wandered along a narrow passageway swarmed by pedestrians, while glancing at the picturesque stores. Although quite small for a city, Lancaster has a prosperous feel, and with its artisan food stalls in the market square, it was buzzing with activity. The market square was once the town hall, now changed to Lancaster City Museum. This museum was founded in the year 1923 and it displays the history of the city from Ancient Rome to current times. Located within the building is the Kings Own Royal Regiment Museum, with artefacts chronicling Lancasters' Regimental history. Visiting this museum is free of charge, and it is an educational place to visit. Our walk continued along the River Lune, which stretches 53 miles through Cumbria and Lancashire. To celebrate the millennium, the Lune millennium bridge was constructed, opening in 2001 and allowing pedestrians.

and bicycle access. This cable-stayed footbridge is unusual in that it forms a Y-shape, connecting the riverbank, a viaduct and the quay. Our car was parked close to the river, so we concluded our tour through the city here but decided to stop off at Lancaster University on our way home.

The university campus is located 4.82 km outside the city centre and was established in 1964. The campus occupies about 145 hectares of land. The campus buildings are located on top of the hills, whereas the slopes are landscaped with sweeping lawns. In recent years, the university has expanded with the building of new halls of residence and research facilities, making it a pleasant environment for study. After a busy day of sightseeing in Lancaster, we made our way home with fond memories. When going to sightsee Lancaster, you need more than one weekend because of the rich history of Lancaster.