Lancaster, England
Lancaster-Upon-Traffic-Island
"Once a capital, now a very nice roundabout"
Official Coat of Arms
A shield bearing the Lancaster Castle keep atop a hill of student cyclists, quartered with the River Lune looking uncharacteristically photogenic, and a bar sinister representing the M6 traffic jam that never quite clears past Junction 34. Motto beneath reads 'Olim Caput, Nunc Park & Ride' (Once a capital, now Park & Ride).
TripAdvisor Review
★★★☆☆ 3/5
"Lovely castle, genuinely fascinating history with the whole Duchy of Lancaster thing, and the priory is stunning at sunset. That said, I spent 25 minutes trying to find parking near the canal and ended up in Morecambe by accident. The city centre shuts remarkably early for somewhere with a university full of thousands of students who apparently all stay in overnight."— Brian Pendlebury, Chorley
Property Listing
Nestled beneath a thousand-year-old castle with breathtaking views of the Lune Valley, this vibrant historic city offers the charm of Georgian architecture, a thriving university atmosphere, and effortless access to the Lake District — commute times to Preston not included, nor is a satisfactory explanation of why the one-way system exists.
Twinned With
Windsor — Both towns have castles, royal connections, and residents who insist their town matters more than the tourist numbers suggest.
Supporting Evidence
Lancaster was the county town of Lancashire for centuries and even housed a crown court in a genuine medieval castle, right up until the prison there finally closed in 2011.