Explore the History and Heritage of Lancaster, Morecambe and Surrounding District

The magnificent ocean liners Majestic and Berengaria both ended in the Morecambe area - the Majestic to be broken up at Ward's shipbreakers and the Berengaria as the name for a new holiday camp at Heysham that promised 'cruising on land'.

I was born in number 16 Second Terrace in the middle of the 1930s. My dad was a fisherman just like his father before him and there are photographs of my grandad in the Maritime Museum in Lancaster.

So starts this podcast of the memories of a lady who spend her younger years living on Sunderland Point where her daily life was governed by the Morecambe Bay tides.

In the early 1900s Morecambe made a bid to compete in the seaside towers wars with a modest 232 foot structure.

What it lacked in height it more than made up with in elegance and exoticism.

A short three quarter of a mile stroll discovering Lancaster's eight canalside mills which were once at the heart of the local economy, whilst at the same time seeing another side of the city.

The Manor of Ashton was mentioned in the Doomsday Book of 1086. The first major building we know of on the site was erected in 1381 by Edmund Lawrence.

The Hall now belongs to Lancaster Golf Club, the parkland ideal for an 18-hole course.

There has been a long history of rowing as a sport in the Lancaster and Morecambe area. Early records show there was gig racing on Morecambe Bay and rowing races on the River Lune based at Snatchems Inn.

The first regattas were held in 1842 and they even featured in a

Heysham is a new harbour, completed in 1904, and build completely from scratch by the Midland Railway.

The Assizes were an important part of Lancaster life for many centuries. They were the highest court in England, dealing with the most serious cases. Lancaster was the site of the Assizes for the whole of Lancashire after 1362 and they were held two or three times a year, often in spring and autumn.

In 1827 it was noted that, to deal with 92 criminal cases and 242 civil ones, 116 barristers had come to Lancaster, doubtless along with juniors and staff.

Cockersand Abbey originated between 1180 and 1184 when Hugh Garth, a hermit, established a hospital for the sick, and a sanctuary for lepers, on one of the many low clay hills that lie between Morecambe Bay and the higher ground of present-day Thurnham and Cockerham.

The Cross-Bay walkers Cedric guided helped raise millions of pounds for charity. He also guided celebrities safely across from Melvyn Bragg and Bill Bryson to Judith Chalmers and Victoria

In 1985 he made a very special royal crossing with Prince Philip at the reins of a carriage and four.