Williamson Park
The Ashton Memorial dome you can see from the M6, with views across Morecambe Bay, a butterfly house, mini beasts and a good playground below it. Lancaster's best free afternoon.
Lancaster Castle
Lancaster, Lancashire
Lancaster Castle is seen by guided tour only, and the castle is upfront that most of its history is crime, punishment and the enforcement of the law. The tour mentions physical punishment and hanging, and ten people convicted of witchcraft at the Summer Assize here went to the gallows on the moors above town. Some children will love it. Know yours.
Tickets are £9 for adults and £7 for children, with under 5s free and a £25 family ticket. You cannot book: tickets are sold on the day at the castle, first come first served. Tours take 60 to 75 minutes. At weekends and in school holidays they leave every half hour from 10 to 12 and 1.15 to 3.45, and less often on term-time weekdays.
The courtyards are free to wander without a ticket, and the Police Museum opens free on Thursdays and Fridays, which is a decent taster if the tour times do not line up. The Judges' Lodgings is at the bottom of the hill for a gentler hour afterwards.
What it costs: Adults £9, children 17 and under £7, 4 and under free. Family ticket £25 (two adults and two children, one adult and three children, or four children one of whom is over 16). Tours cannot be pre-booked; tickets are sold on site on the day, first come first served. The courtyards, and the Police Museum on Thursdays and Fridays, are free without a tour.
Know before you go
- At weekends and in Lancashire school holidays tours go every 30 minutes from 10 to noon and 1.15 to 3.45. On term-time weekdays they are 45 to 60 minutes apart, so a Saturday is easier if you are not going to plan.
- The route is not suitable for pushchairs or wheelchairs and there is no luggage storage, so travel light.
Worth knowing: Guided tour covers punishment and hanging. Not suitable for pushchairs or wheelchairs.
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