Lancaster. The ‘House of Lancaster’
Lancaster’s history dates back to the end of the first century AD. It has had a rich and varied existence ever since. The Romans left in the early fifth Century and although it remained inhabited, there is little known until the Norman Conquest in the 11th Century.
Lancaster was known as the ‘Hanging Town’, the most notable hangings were of the Lancashire Witches in 1612. Being situated by the River Lune, Lancaster flourished as an industrial town during the industrial revolution. Factories and canals were build.
Lord Ashton (1842-1930), the ‘Linoleum King’ has left many incredible legacies to his beloved City. The Ashton Memorial, The Town Hall and The Museum are three fine buildings he left. Lancaster became the fourth biggest Port in the country during this time.
The relevance of all of this is to enable us to understand ‘Lancaster’. A Georgian City, with a rich heritage, fantastic architecture and yet compact. Yes, size matters !
I once visited Florence. I fell in love with Florence, but there’s one thing that stuck with me and was its compactness. Everything was within a leisurely stroll. All the roads and passages brought you back into the centre square.
Okay, Skerton Bridge isn’t quite the Ponte Vecchio, but Lancaster has many stunning assets, including one of the most complete Castles in Europe, owned by The Duchy. But we will leave the Museums, Folly’s and Theatres for another time.
Instead, let me tell you about the businesses. What makes any town or city different to the next, is its independent businesses. Well, this is another huge ‘tick’ for Lancaster. Nearly seventy percent of the businesses here are independents. This is amongst the highest ratio in the country.
Lancaster’s independent businesses are of the highest quality. Whether you are wanting to shop, eat, drink or even sleep. Fantastic boutique rooms located in the beautiful City centre. Lancaster has a very cosmopolitan feel, and that is down to our history and the people that continue to be drawn here.
My friend, originally from Rome but has now settled here with his beautiful family and opened his incredible business, recently said, “Lancaster has adopted me” and I think we’ve rather got into his blood.
