Lancaster Walking Tour: Explore Historical Sites and Traces of Slavery Trade
5.0
23 Ratings
Lancashire
Embark on a captivating Lancaster walking tour to uncover historical sites, including Lancaster Castle, the slave trade's impact, and the first forensic murder case. Join us now!
Duration:
2 hours, 45 minutes
Cancellation:
1 day
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Highlights
- Lancaster Castle - An ancient castle - but what else? Learn about the Castle’s place in history - its famous and not so famous prisoners, trials and executions.
- Saint George’s Quay - An eighteenth century harbour on the River Lune, its connections to the international slave trade, and characters connected with this area.
- Judges’ Lodgings - The oldest house in Lancaster. Who it was owned by and its link to witchcraft.
- Church Street - A prince goes missing. Some stories about a potential king of England.
- Market Street - A prince raises the banner and another loses a shoe. Stories about two Royal prices - 300 years apart.
- Dalton Square - A murder and a government bonus. Learn about the first murder solved by forensic science and the bonus paid to slave owners.
- Lancaster Canal - The White Cross Mill and the Lancaster Canal. Learn about the Storey Brothers and the heyday of this coastal canal.
- Penny’s Almshouses - A look at an almshouse - still functioning today. Who founded it and how it was financed.
- The Storey - An educational institute founded by donations - which became the forerunner of the university tradition in the City.
What's Included
- Guided walking tour
Additional Information
Home to a rich legacy from the Roman era, a historic castle, a unique national song, ties to the transatlantic slave trade, and the first case of a brutal murder cracked using forensic science, Lancaster brims with intriguing sites and stories.
Our journey commences at Lancaster Castle, delving into the trials of the Pendle Witches and prominent Quakers. We’ll delve into the ways in which Lancaster flourished due to its involvement in the 18th-century slave trade. We’ll learn about Lancaster’s Black and White Canal and how the pioneering use of forensic science helped solve a murder in the heart of Lancaster.
Sites we’ll explore:
- Lancaster Castle
- The Priory
- The Quayside
- Almshouses
- Affluent houses tied to the slave trade
- Other distinctive edifices linked to architects and industrial magnates
- Lancaster Canal
- The residence of a physician that transformed into a murder scene
Location
26 Castle Park
Castle Park
In front of the Castle front gate on the steep slope - guide will be carrying a red umbrella
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(23 Ratings)
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362douglask
Mar 28, 2024
Very enjoyable and learned a lot - Enjoyed the tour. It was very informative. Guide (I think his name was Barry) was very friendly and knowledgeable. I felt I learned a lot about Lancaster.
Only suggestion would be to build in toilet stops - the tour was 3.5 hours long so that was quite a long time without a stop.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Paulbg5061pe
Mar 24, 2024
Enjoyable tour with knowledgeable tour guide - Tour guide was very knowledgeable about the history of Lancaster. We had the tour to ourselves, however I think it would have been just has good if it had been full. Does not rush round and takes time to explain things, and clearly enjoys history.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Debbiel885
Mar 23, 2024
Informative and enjoyable. - So much information plus seeing the sights. Learned a lot and was delighted it covered so much history and we saw so many places around the City. Thoroughly enjoyed the walk
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lizha4854gq
Mar 17, 2024
Excellent tour and would highly recommend - Excellent tour with a very knowledgeable and friendly guide. Lots of information on local history and places to explore that you just wouldn’t know if you just wandered round on your own.
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Liz_h
Mar 16, 2024
Excellent knowledge - A really excellent tour with unusual and well-researched details. We covered a lot of ground and heard many tales related to local heroes and anti-heros
Review provided by Viator
Catherinebr4418kl
Feb 17, 2024
So informative and very interesting - Fascinating insight into the history of Lancaster. It was all brought to life by Barrie with information relating to people who once lived there. Excellent value.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
H5071qrnigelc
Feb 12, 2024
The best way - The best way to see the sights of the city with an interesting history with a very good guide who was informative without too much detail.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Upthetown1234
Feb 11, 2024
This walking tour enhanced our appreciation and enjoyment of Lancaster city. - Hugely enjoyable and informative, this walking tour enabled us to learn about Lancaster's past and how it has changed and transformed through the centuries up to the present day. Barrie imparted his knowledge in a friendly way and we felt a much greater appreciation for the city after going on his walking tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
D4279hljohns
Feb 5, 2024
Lancaster Walking Tour - Great walking tour, so much history to Lancaster, we wouldn’t have discovered half of this without our guide. Excellent value for money considering it’s a 3 hour tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Johnselby
Jan 27, 2024
We cannot recommend this guided tour too highly. - many things we did not know and our guide was able to give us the big picture of the history of Lancaster and also to provide us with a huge amount of detail. Combine all this with) a range of funny anecdotes and an obvious love for the city, while recognising its deep involvement in the slave trade.
Review provided by Tripadvisor