Lancaster Castle is owned by the Duke of Lancaster, who is also His Majesty the King. I imagine my readers already know this, but I thought it was a funny way to start this post. I’ve been to this castle twice. It is a wonderful place to visit and the guided tour, available every 30 minutes, is 1 hour long and so worth it. There is also a cafe on the site and the Lancashire Police Museum. The museum can be visited on 2 days a week, Thursday and Friday. We went on Saturday, so we couldn’t visit the police museum extensively, but we had a look, as part of the guided tour.
We could just take pictures outside and in a few limited places inside because it is still a working Crown Court.
This is the John O’ Gaunt Gatehouse, one of the most impressive buildings in the castle. The keep is older, from the 11th century. The gatehouse is made out of two semi-octagonal towers, 20 metres high.
HMP Lancaster Castle was decommissioned by the Ministry of Justice in 2012, but it was a prison for centuries prior to that.
This was the Male Penitentiary. An ‘A-Wing’, this Pentonville-style prison wing was built in the 19th Century. It has 18 cells per floor and extends over 3 floors, each cell was for 2 prisoners.
This is a Female Penitentiary. It was built in 1821, using the ideas of Jeremy Bentham’s panopticon.
This is the shower room.
A regular prison cell, for 2 prisoners.
Each prisoner had their own safe. My husband asked about this because it seemed so unusual. I did not imagine that prisoners are allowed to have things that should be kept in a safe.
It’s strange, I’m such a huge Plantagenet fan and have read so much about the Wars of the Roses but I’ve never been to York or Lancaster! Very interesting to see these photos, thank you, Anca.
That’s very interesting about the safe. I wouldn’t think that either!
I love the look on it! It looks amazing!
I did not know King Charles is the Duke of Lancaster. How did I not know that! lol
That is a stunning castle and interesting to know that it is a working Crown Court and used to be a prison. That is strange about the safes. I wouldn’t have thought they were needed as valuables shouldn’t be in prison unless they wanted to lock away their foodie treats. x
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I love the gatehouse and it’s amazing to think of all those who have passed through it over the centuries. What a stark contrast between the old and the new of the prison facility. That really is odd about the safes in the cells. Odd, too, to see the toilet seat and lid. It’s always been my understanding those are removed in our prisons so they can’t be pull off and used as weapons.
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This was a minimum security prison. In the maximum security prison is possible not to have toilet seats. I was puzzled that they were allowed to have any valuables inside. It could have triggered fights.
I’ve never been, but I definitely would enjoy a visit. A friend lives in Lancaster too, so I could make a trip of it.
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