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

The WW2 years were a boom time for Morecambe

To Morecambe's landladies their new guests represented an all year-round source of income.

Over 200 years ago the traveller and writer Richard Ayton undertook a journey around his native land producing a fascinating and amusing an account of his travels as 'A Voyage Round Great Britain'.

1909 was a memorable year in Lancaster and nationally. 

Lancaster’s richest citizen, Lord Ashton (James Williamson junior), donated the new town hall which opened in 1909, overlooking his earlier donation of the Queen Victoria Monument and a restyled

The extremes of wealth (and poverty) that allowed such philanthropy were perhaps rather more common locally in 1909 than today.

Lancaster Canal is a pleasant walk, either long distance from Garstang to to Tewitfield, or a short stroll - perhaps taking your dog - along this well maintained city centre section from White Cross to Shaw Bridge.

The 1930s were part of Morecambe's golden age as a resort, which continued into the 1950s.

They were built on solid foundations from earlier decades. Central Pier opened in 1869 then lengthened in the early 1870 to 912 feet, a pavilion being added at the seaward end in 1998.

West End Pier opened in 1896 and soon ran to 1800 feet.

Lancaster is a City build from stone - but not just any stone. Early buildings used stone from local quarries but as the nineteenth century progressed, cheaper transport allowed a wider range of building stones to be accessed affordably. The Ashton Memorial (1909) in Williamson Park is a combination of Portland Stone (Dorset) on a Cornish granite plinth.

It was the arrival of the railway from Lancaster in 1848 and from Yorkshire in 1850 that propelled Poulton-le-Sands (it officially became Morecambe - after the Bay - in 1889) from a fishing village with some visitors into the major resort it soon became.

At the heart of many British towns is the ‘High Street’ – an old, bustling thoroughfare. Not in Lancaster. Our High Street is only 160 metres long and Georgian in age. Yet it is packed with interesting buildings reflecting the city's development.

Once a fashionable place to be seen today few people are aware of Lune Bank Gardens - or Skerton Park as it is also known. But they are well worth a visit as you will hear

Opened in 1905 the gardens form a long, narrow promenade along the north bank of the River Lune, running from Skerton towards Halton.

They closely follow the river, and inland the ground slopes steeply up to Halton Road.

The village dates from soon after 1274 and there was a regular market here from 1294.

Hornby parish has two Grade I listed buildings, one Grade II* building, 34 are Grade II, and there are four scheduled monuments.

This podcast takes us on a gentle stroll around the conservation area and you can extend the walk by following a path along River Lune for about 2 miles from Wenning Bridge.