The city is located on the River Lune (from which it derives its name, through Loyne Castre) and the Lancaster Canal. Lancaster Castle, partly built in the 13th century and enlarged by Elizabeth I, stands on the site of a Roman garrison. Lancaster Castle is well-known as the site of the infamous Pendle Witches' trial in 1612. It was said that the court based in the castle (the Lancaster Assizes) sentenced more people to be hanged than any other in the country outside of London, earning Lancaster the nickname 'Hanging Town'.

The etymology of Lancaster is derived from its large and imposing castle, and the river that runs through it, the River Lune (named after 'lunar', due to the tidal nature of the river). Language evolution from the old name of Loyne Castrum, gives the modern name of Lancaster.

The traditional emblem for the House of Lancaster is a red rose, similar to that of the House of York, which is a white rose. These names derive from the emblems of the Royal Dukedoms of Lancaster and York in the 15th century. This erupted into a civil war over rival claims to the throne during the Wars of the Roses.

In more recent times, the term Wars of the Roses has been applied to rivalry in sports between teams representing Lancashire and Yorkshire, not just the cities of Lancaster and York. It is also applied to the Roses Tournament that Lancaster and York University compete in every year.

Lancaster gained its first charter in 1193 as a market town and borough, but was not given the status of a city until 1937. Many buildings in the city centre and along St. George's Quay date from the 1800s, built during a period when the port became one of the busiest in England. However, Lancaster's role as a major port was short lived, as the river began to silt up. Heysham now serves as the district's main port.

This page was last updated: 21 Januar 2006

Town history extracts are taken from Wikipedia and are licensed under GFDL