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Lancaster Castle

Lancaster Castle

Lancaster Castle
4.5
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
About
Owned by the serving monarch, HM Queen Elizabeth II, through the Duchy of Lancaster, Lancaster Castle is a wealth of English history. Since being established by the Romans the castle has been a home to monarchs, a place of trial and execution, and a working prison right up until 2012. Still a crown court, the majority of the castle is now open to the public for the first time in over 1,000 years.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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  • Hilary
    Lancaster, United Kingdom43 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Guided Tour of Lancaster Castle
    We did the paid tour of Lancaster Castle and we all thoroughly enjoyed it. With a mixture of ages, including my grandchildren who are 16, 13 and 9, our guide, Simon, made it interesting for us all. It wasn’t what we expected and was a fascinating introduction to the castle which was a prison and court house right up until this century! I would highly recommend taking this tour especially if Simon is conducting the tour!!
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 5 October 2023
  • JustWandering
    Portland, Maine1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great tour guide - David - made for fascinating experience!
    The Lancaster Castle tour was fascinating, and would not have been the same without David Dale as the tour guide. He made the dark & grim history of the castle interesting & respectfully comical. I would highly recommend this experience to anyone, especially if you can get David as your guide!
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled solo
    Written 6 October 2023
  • 865lynn
    Wales, United Kingdom20 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Brilliant day
    We’ve just had the guided tour of Lancaster Castle. Our guide David was excellent. His knowledge was brilliant and very extensive. He made it so interesting that you wonder how he remembers it all. Thank you David. The Castle is so well kept and clean and a pleasure to go round. Will definitely visit again. Also used the cafe which had plenty of choices and very found food. Good day all round.
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 12 October 2023
  • Owenthomas
    Berthoud, Colorado1,003 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Built in the 11th century
    It was built on the foundation of an earlier Roman fort. It has been in royal hands for much of its existence, and was once owned by John of Gaunt. It is now owned directly by King Charles it was altered a lot in 15th and 16th century and was a royal prison for many years. It still has crown courts in it, as well as parts of the University of Lancaster. The Pendle witches trial was held here in 1612. They do have guided tours.
    Visited September 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 12 October 2023
  • Liane Powell
    Carnforth, United Kingdom23 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Amazing castle tour
    Without a doubt, one of the best historical tours we've ever been on. The guide (Victoria) was absolutely brilliant; knowledgeable, friendly, entertaining and engaging. The history of the castle and prison within was fascinating, if a little grizzly in places . Excellent value for money and well worth a visit.
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 15 October 2023
  • Paul_tyrrell82
    Gillingham, United Kingdom183 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    If you like crime and punishment history you should go
    This was an interesting experience led by a brilliant engaging tour guide. The history and knowledge around this place was shared. The immersive experiences of seeing prisons and the hanging places was interesting. This place is being renovated brilliantly but does not impact the tour. Victoria our guide really was fun and engaging and really made time fly! We weren’t rushed and she was so willing to help. Great place and tour
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 16 October 2023
  • Shedload
    Liverpool, United Kingdom157 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Interesting.
    Always enjoy visiting an old building and this was no exception. Entry to the courtyard is free and you pay for a guided tour inside the various cells and Courtrooms. I did feel a bit rushed inside the cell wings, guide gave an informative talk then we where moved on to the next section. I would have liked a little time to have a look around and read the the information available. On exiting the tour we returned to the Courtyard where another guide was starting his tour. This introduction did last a little longer than ours and seemed more comprehensive.
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 16 October 2023
  • Penny G
    1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Informative and enjoyable day out
    We began by learning about the Pendle witches and after a visit to the well stocked coffee shop, we joined a guided tour. It was a very informative tour, taking in much of the castle and exploring its history. Very enjoyable.
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 17 October 2023
  • Family W
    Douglas, United Kingdom243 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Fascinating history, engaging tour guide
    Beautifully restored courtyard which is free to enter. There was also a fascinating free exhibit about the Pendle Witch Trials. We opted for a guided tour. We were warned at the outset that there wasn’t too much for young children and that’s a fair assessment, although there was a teddy bear hunt. However, the tour guide was very knowledgeable with some fascinating stories that certainly kept the parents’ attention. Would be recommended for solo travellers, couples or families with older children.
    Visited August 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 19 October 2023
  • P4JD
    Bucks Cross, United Kingdom8 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A visit well worth doing...
    I have a few problems with hills (after a heart attack last year), but a simple phone resulted in a space being held for us at the Castle. We arrived just as the 10am tour was leaving, but the guide waited whilst we paid, and we were so glad he did. David kept us well informed and entertained for over an hour...making clear where photos could be taken, and where (and why) they couldn't. All in all a very good visit that we would want to recommend. Thank you to all the staff.
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 23 October 2023
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4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles2,771 reviews
Excellent
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Julia D
Sheffield, UK19 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2022
It was raining so something that involved being indoors was a good plan. We paid for the 12.00 tour and hid with an increasing number of tourists in the Cloister Walk. The clock struck 12.00 and nothing happened. After about eight minutes we looked at our watches and discovered the clock was 10 minutes fast! Shortly after that our guide appeared, mentioning that he'd been waiting for us on the astroturf in the courtyard outside.

Graham was charming and entertaining. He was extremely well-informed and informative, and passed on everything to us with a mixture of theatrical flair and sincerity. He held the interest of the entire group.

We started in an enclosed courtyard, headed into the prison, went through various areas including the old cells, the two courtrooms and the hanging room. For those to whom it is important there were a number of rooms on the tour where it was possible to sit down. The tour is mostly indoors and finishes outside the castle a short distance uphill from the entrance.

Tremendously interesting and entertaining, and definitely worth doing.
Written 16 March 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Rachael T
Lancaster43 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020 • Family
Living locally and afew years since we took the tour, decided to occupy a wet day of half term.
It was disappointing. The tour guide was more interested in enforcing a no chewing gum policy and performing the don'ts of the tour than anything else. He managed to parrot out some facts in each room in a dull fashion. It was far from entertaining. Being pretty knowledgeable of the castle and its history I found it poor. It cost twenty pound for three of us and I will not be taking the tour again. The no 1 stop sign in the face of a child at the end of a corridor like he was a car approaching a junction was the highlight of my tour.
Written 21 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Lucia S
5 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2020 • Couples
Even during Covid 19 times the staff working in Lancaster castle was very helful and welcoming. Cameron gave us a lovely and interesting tour around the outside of the castel for free (since the inside visits are unavailable at the moment), was veery friendly and did not mind us asking tons of question. Definitely recommend visiting this lovely place no matter how much time you have in Lancaster - the whole guided tour around the outside portion of the castle will take you maximum 20 mintes. Definitely worth it!
Written 13 December 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Khara F
19 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2022 • Family
You can’t wander round on your own so you have to go on a guided tour which isn’t an issue if you’re told on the website before you go. The tour was very good and lasted about an hour and half but unfortunately you can’t stay long enough in any place to read the information around which was disappointing. The majority of the castle is closed including the gift shop so there’s not much to see. Overall I was disappointed that I paid £8 per adult and £12 to park at the train station. May be worth waiting until more of it opens if you don’t want a wasted journey.
Written 13 March 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

BobB53
London, UK395 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2021
We had a guided tour of the castle that lasted about 45 minutes.
We did not get to see much of the inside of the castle which was used as a prison up until 2011 but we did get inside to see the magnificent criminal and county court chambers.
Getting to and from the courts illustrated how much money needs to be spent on the complex to make it a top-class tourist attraction but nevertheless our guide, Christopher, kept us enthralled throughout - he was most knowledgeable about the castle in particular and history in general (a history graduate ?)
Written 18 June 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

RGMLondon
London87 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
This tour is very grim in some ways - but well worth the modest entrance fee. The castle is still a Crown Court and in the past has been a prison, an asylum and a defensive site dating back to the Romans. ‘Witches’ were tried and executed here; the place is full of examples of just how unpleasant one human being can be to another.
Our guide was Cameron, the party was just four people, and he made it absorbing and interesting. Highly recommend. (PS due to its status as a Court, photography not allowed in certain interiors)
Written 12 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

StevePageUK
Hessle, UK165 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2021 • Couples
If you are interested in history and particularly modern history (the castle isn't all as old as you might expect) and a variety of use, this is the place for you. The guided tour is recommended and excellent value (£8 at the time of writing) and our guide Jack was humerous and very knowledgeable. The tour we did was not suitable for wheelchairs, check with the venue for info. The various ages of use over the centuries are fascinating including its uses as a prison and the history of the trial of the Pendle Witches. The cafe was okay, but don't expect full meals, cake, sarnies and beverages only during our visit. Photography not allowed inside because this is a working Crown Court building. See the old original cells and the more modern cells from HMP Lancaster Castle in use into the 2000s. Recommended visit.
Written 17 December 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Bren1812
4 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2020
Three of us went on the tour this morning .
Very reasonably priced.

Our Tour Guide ,Eleanor, was well informed , obviously passionate about the History of the Castle and very professional.

The tour lasted just over an hour and I would thoroughly recommend this if you are visiting Lancaster. It is also worth having a wander around the Courtyards after the Guided Tour.
Written 9 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Astradave
Morecambe, UK59 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Couples
Visited as a couple, the courtyard now looks well and will be a great entertaining space.
The cakes looked good and so did the sandwiches. We had a toastie which was nice and 2 cakes, a large cookie and a rose petal brownie.
The cookie was OK and the rose petal brownie was way to fancy for its own good with rose petals all over the top of it.
There wasn’t much other selection of cakes and whilst the cafe looked nice inside there was a distinct lack of places to sit and especially no where to sit in comfort.
We will probably not visit the cafe again unless there is some kind of event on.
Written 8 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

irene c
Caton, UK41 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
This review is solely about the cafe. Visited today and we were very impressed with the new look of the courtyard but although the castle looked fairly quiet the cafe was full. Bearing in mind it is only January, we witnessed people just walking out because of lack of tables. We had to sit on ‘trendy’ stools with a ledge for a table. Although we were happy to do this I can’t imagine what will happen as the tourist season begins, there just isn’t enough room in the new cafe. I think I counted about 12 tables inside. Yes, it looks great but visitors are going to want more than fancy coffees. What about children visiting? I may be wrong but as far as I could see you would struggle to feed a hungry child with anything, apart from a very fancy sandwich. Surely a tourist attraction as amazing as Lancaster Castle should cater for the tourist. I think there will be tourists visiting who think the castle itself fabulous but will be let down by lack of facilities. The service was extremely slow, it took about half an hour after ordering three coffees for them to arrive. Also I agree with other reviews that have commented on the lack of toilets, two ladies plus one disabled. Can’t comment on the gents. Things need a bit of sorting in time for the main season for our lovely city attraction.
Written 4 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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LANCASTER CASTLE (2024) All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

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