Car Hire Lancaster

Lancaster Mini Guide

What’s the City of Lancaster Like?
It’s a very interesting city with a long association with the British monarchy. It was originally a Roman town then after a period of stagnation, grew again as an important Saxon settlement. In Victorian days it was important as a port for the import and export of materials for the cotton trade.  Today the city’s fortunes rest on its university, one of the top ones in the country. This attracts many young people to the town giving it a youthful vibrancy.

How Easy is it to get to Lancaster?
The closest airport is Manchester, about an hour away from the city. Trains can take you from the airport to the city centre or there’s a bus from the airport too which is cheaper but a little slower. Many people choose to arrive by train as there are good links with the rest of the country with Lancaster being on the main west coast line.

What Should I do When I’m in Lancaster?
Top of the list should be a visit to the castle which has dominated Lancaster for nearly a thousand years. The current building stands on top of the old Roman fortress and many finds from excavations in the castle ground can be seen in the city’s museum. The Maritime Museum is fascinating too. Many people don’t associate the city with maritime ventures but an hour or two spent in the museum will show you just how important the port was to the development of Victorian England.

What About Entertainment There?
You can take ghost tours of the castle at night at certain times of the year and the city’s Halloween and Bonfire Night celebrations are considered to be the most spectacular in the North West.

Lancaster’s appeal to tourists is based on its rich history. It was a Roman town, one of the most northerly of the empire, the name meaning ‘castle on the Lune’. The castle is the best place to start when touring the city and is the quintessential English castle. Belonging to the Duke of Lancaster, this effectively means that it is the queen’s castle.

From there, take a short trip in your hire car to the Ashton Memorial, a magnificent folly, presented by Lord Ashton to Lancaster as a memorial to his wife. Williamson Park nearby has a charming butterfly house.