Lancaster Castle

Lancaster Castle stands on a hill above the River Lune in the centre of Lancaster. A Roman fort once occupied the site, and the Normans built a castle there in the 1090s. The oldest standing building in the city, it has been a royal fortress, a prison and a court. The castle’s keep still shows Romanesque windows from the time of Roger de Poitou. Adrian’s Tower and the Well Tower date from the 12th and early 14th centuries. The great gatehouse was added by Henry IV after the Scots raids of 1389. The castle’s history is tied to the Duchy of Lancaster and the English monarchy. It was first used as a prison in 1196, a role that grew after the Civil War. The Ministry of Justice ran HM Prison Lancaster until 2011, when the Duchy took back control. A sweeping public piazza now leads to the cloistered area, renovated in 2019. A new café section sits against the old curtain wall, giving views of Lancaster Priory. Lancaster University leases a renovated building nearby for small conferences. Visitors walk through the medieval gatehouse into the castle grounds. The cloisters surround a quiet courtyard, and the café offers refreshments against the ancient walls. The Crown Court still sits within the castle, using part of the old structure. The keep and towers give views over the city and the river. The priory next door adds to the historic atmosphere of the hilltop site.