View My Stats

Welcome to the world of the Vincent D'Onofrio obsessed - and a bit of real life thrown in.


Monday, June 26, 2006

Lancaster






Here continueth the history lesson. Lancaster is an ancient town in the north-west of England. As the name suggests, it dates back to Roman times. The huge castle gate is named after one of the early dukes of Lancaster, John of Gaunt. In the mid1970s the Birmingham bomb trials took place in the castle, because it was regarded as a very secure location (no transporting prisoners from jail to the courtroom). In the seventeenth century, the Lancashire witches were incarcerated here prior to trial. During the tour you can be locked in one of the dungeons. With the door shut there is NO LIGHT whatsoever. Scary.

The Priory is 14th century and is in a beautiful setting next to the castle. The train station is amazing. A Victorian confection, it has battlements! Other highlights include Atkinson's, a tea and coffee emporium which is impossible to pass by when the aroma wafts out. As far as I know it still contains the old apothcary type jars.

In the 1960s a plate-glass university was built on Bailrigg Hill just outside the town. This is where I spent my student days, lounging on hillsides watching the wildlife. Or lounging in the copious bars quaffing ale. You decide which is true...

4 comments:

JoJo said...

I'm voting for "lounging in the copius bars and quaffing ales".

Isn't Lancaster also the site of the War of the Roses as well? I don't remember much about it, except that one rose was white and one was red and it was very, very confusing!!!

Jane said...

I love your history lessons!!

val said...

Thanks for the kind words, Lisa.
JoJo, you are right, the Wars of the Roses were between the House of Lancaster (red rose) and the House of York (white) but wasn't confined to those areas.Lancaster and York Universities have a Roses Week of sporting competition each year.

ann said...

isn't that just so cute.... they like us Brits... LOL

we're not a bad bunch are we?

lotsa luv ann xxxx

Blog Archive

About Me

My photo
Starsign - Aries Chinese Year - Snake