Historic Lancaster Walking Trail

Be a real History Detective and look for the clues to Lancaster’s past as you follow our walking trail. Group Leaders - Before beginning the walk, it is recommended that you complete it as part of your planning visit. Sturdy shoes are recommended and please take care crossing roads. Allow 30-40mins to complete the walk, some sections are a little steeper than others.

1 – Warehouses On leaving the Maritime Museum, turn right towards the City centre and walk along the quayside. (If it is safe to do so, and the flood gates are open, you may wish to cross the road here and walk along the riverside, alternatively you can cross further along near the Millennium Bridge). Remember to stop and look up at the warehouses along the quay – How many can you spot? What are the clues that tell you these buildings used to be warehouses? They are usually the tallest buildings, with four floors and doors opening out on each floor. Some still have the jibs used to haul goods up. See if you can spot any old signage painted on the stone above doorways. What might that tell you about how these buildings were used?

2 – The Crooked House Along the quay from the Maritime Museum see if you can spot the crooked house. Why is it crooked? It is said that it was built 250 years ago by a sea captain who was so used to the listing decks at sea, that he built a wonky house so that he would always feel like he was at sea. We’re not convinced. 3- Roman Bridge Continue further down the quay until you reach the Millennium Bridge. If you have not already done so, cross the road here. This is one of the narrowest crossing points on the and the location of the bridge built by the Romans. How high is the river? If the river is low you may be able to see some large rectangular stones. These were part of the bridge built by the Romans. From here you can also see the length of the quay which was built between 1750 and 1755. Try to imagine how it would have looked before it was built. Look to the opposite riverbank.

4 – Old Railway Bridge Continue left on to the Millennium Bridge, then turn right to reach the old railway bridge which is now a footpath and cycleway. This was once part of a railway line connecting Green Ayre and Lancaster stations. Can you see how straight the path is ahead? Today Station is called Lancaster Station. Green Ayre no longer exists. It was located near the skate park opposite Kingsway Retail Park.

5- Slave Trade Memorial From the railway bridge, look below and to the left. Can you spot The Captured Africans? This beautiful sculpture was created by artist Kevin Dalton-Johnson in 2005 and is a memorial to the victims of the transatlantic slave trade.

6- Roman Bath House Continue straight ahead on the old railway line until you come to an incline on the left. Proceed up here if you need a more accessible route. Alternatively, continue on this path until you reach a set of steps on the left, which are signposted to the Castle and Priory. After a short walk you will see the Roman Bath House signpost. Turn left here and follow the path. The Roman Bath House was discovered and excavated in the 1970s. It formed one end of a large courtyard house, which probably belonged to a Roman official.

It was demolished in about 340AD to make way for a new, larger stone fort. Part of the original fort wall can still be seen. This is known as the Wery Wall. Can you see it?

The free-standing, vertical stones, are called pilae. What do you think they were for? They would have supported a floor and allowed hot air to circulate, forming part of the hypocaust heating system, for which the Romans are well known.

Did you spot the unusual shaped house? It is a summer house – many Georgian townhouses had large detached gardens which contained elegant summer houses like this one.

7 – Priory Church Retrace your steps back to the main path, turning left to continue up until you reach a set of steps. These lead to the side of the Priory. was largely built during the 15th century, though its tower was rebuilt in 1759. Built on one of the highest points in Lancaster, the Priory can be seen for miles around. It was used as a landmark by ships in the bay when attempting to enter the River Lune.

8- Castle Continue straight ahead, with the Priory on your left. The path leads you to the back of the castle and the entrance to Shire Hall. Continue following the footpath at the side of the castle, which will bring you out at the Castle’s John O’Gaunt gate. As you walk along here there are several Georgian merchants’ houses on the right. Entry through the John O’Gaunt gateway into the castle precinct is free.

From inside you can see the Well Tower, also known as the Witches’ Tower. This part of the castle was built c1325 and contains the underground dungeons, which were believed to have held the Witches prior to their trial in the castle in 1612. Look for the tower where the stonework looks much older. Imagine what it would have been like to be locked up in the dungeon!

9 – Cottage Museum On leaving the castle gates, follow the cobbled path down to the left, cross the road and walk down towards Castle Hill with the Cottage Museum on your right. How many doors can you see? Can you spot any clues that tell us when it was built? Lots of houses have a date stone on the front. This tells you the date they were built –1739 for the Cottage. Originally the building combined a house with a shop. Around 1825 it was divided, and a shared passage was built through the middle, whilst an extra doorway was added on the right. How many floors do you think are inside? Believe it or not there are 5 levels inside!

10- Judges’ Lodgings As you walk past the Cottage and down Castle Hill to the Covell Cross and Judges’ Lodgings, look out for a building on the left that has some features you should recognise from similar ones on the quay. It used to be a warehouse. The Judges’ Lodgings is Lancaster’s oldest town house and stands on the site of an earlier hall. The current house, built around 1625, was the residence of wealthy Lancaster citizens for nearly 200 years. It was then bought by the county magistrate to house visiting judges who were attending the assize courts in Lancaster Castle. Large crowds would gather here during that time to witness the arrival of the Judge. It was last used by a Judge in 1975.

11- Music Room Cross the one-way system at the pelican crossing and walk down Church Street. Turn right into Sun Street and continue until the street opens out into Sun Square. The Music Room was built in c1730. It is another Georgian summer house which originally belonged to a large detached garden which is no longer here. Imagine what a garden it must have been to house such a grand summer house! The building is now owned by the Landmark Trust.