Lancaster

Lancaster, the capital of Lancashire, is picturesquely situated on an eminence on the left bank of the Lune, 7 miles from its mouth, 51½ NNW. of Manchester and 231 NW. of London by rail. The ancient castle, which overlooks the town, was built on the site of a Roman castle, and was restored by John of Gaunt, 'time-honoured Lancaster;' it is now used as the county gaol. The church of St Mary (15th century) contains some good oak-carvings and stained glass. The Ripley Hospital is an asylum for orphan children. The houses are built of the freestone quarried in the vicinity. The Lune is here crossed by a bridge of five arches, erected in 1788, and by an aqueduct carrying the Lancaster Canal across the river. Owing to the sanding of the Lune, large vessels have to unload at Glasson, 5 miles distant. The chief manufactures are furniture, cotton, silk, oil-cloth, table-covers, machinery, and railway plant. A public park was presented in 1881. Sir R. Owen, the anatomist, and Dr Whewell were born at Lancaster. In 1698 the town was nearly burned to the ground. A very ancient municipal borough, it returned two members to parliament from 1547 to 1867, when it was disfranchised for corrupt practices at elections. Pop. (1881) 20,663; (1891) 31,038. See works by Hall (1843) and Simpson (1852).