article

Lancaster (2001 census population 45,952: source ONS) is a city in Lancashire, in the north-west of England, UK. It is a commercial, cultural and educational centre. Apart from Lancaster itself, other towns in the City of Lancaster local government district include Morecambe, Heysham and Carnforth. Lancaster is the historic county town of Lancashire, having given its name to the County Palatine of Lancashire.

History and economy

The city is located on the River Lune (from which it derives its name), and the Lancaster Canal. Lancaster Castle, partly built in the thirteenth 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 (the "caster" part), and the river that runs through it, the Lune (a name deriving from old Celtic sources). Language evolution from the old name of Loncastra, the castle-town on the Lune, gives the modern name of Lancaster.

The traditional emblem for the House of Lancaster is a red rose, the Red rose of Lancaster, similar to that of the House of York, which is a white rose. These names derive from the emblems of the Royal Duchies 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 in which Lancaster and York Universities compete 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 the UK; the fourth most important in the UK's slave trade. However, Lancaster's role as a major port was short lived, as the river began to silt up. Morecambe, Glasson Dock and Sunderland Point served as Lancaster's port for brief periods. Heysham now serves as the district's main port.

Lancaster is primarily a service-orientated city. Products of Lancaster include animal feed, textiles, chemicals, livestock, paper, synthetic fibre, farm machinery, hgv trailers and mineral fibres. In recent years, a high-technology sector has emerged, as a result of Information Technology and Communications companies investing in the city.

Lancaster is also home to the European headquarters of Reebok.

Education

The city is home to Lancaster University at Bailrigg, one of the top research universities in the United Kingdom and one of only two business schools in the country to have achieved a 6 star research rating. InfoLab21 at the University is the North West's Centre of Excellence for Information and Communication Technologies.

Lancaster is also home to St Martin's College, a Higher Education College with a wide portfolio of undergraduate and postgraduate courses in the arts, social sciences, business, teacher training, health care and nursing. Its degrees are currently accredited by Lancaster University.

Lancaster Royal Grammar School, Lancaster Girls' Grammar School, Ripley St. Thomas C of E High School, Lancaster and Morecambe College, and numerous other renowned educational establishments are also to be found in Lancaster.

Politics

On March 5, 2004, Lancaster was granted Fairtrade City status.

The city lies in the Lancaster and Wyre constituency for elections of Members of Parliament to the House of Commons, and the North West which elects 9 MEPs to the European parliament.

In the late 1990s and early 2000s the City Council was under the control of the Morecambe Bay Independents who campained for an independent Morecambe council. There influence has now waned and Labour is once again the largest party on the Council.

A long-standing debate to determine the nature of a high capacity road to ease Lancaster's traffic congestion is arguably the most prominent issue in local politics today.

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II holds the title of 'Duke of Lancaster'.

Culture

Lancaster, as a historic city, offers much in the way of cultural entertainment and is often referred to as the 'Cultural Capital' of Lancashire. The city is fortunate to have retained many fine examples of Georgian architecture. Lancaster Castle, The Priory Church of St. Mary and the Edwardian Ashton Memorial are among many sites of historical importance.

The Lancaster Grand Theatre and Dukes Theatre are two of the city's most notable venues for live performances. Lancaster also hosts 'The Play in the Park', a series of open-air performances in the award-winning Williamson Park. The university boasts the Nuffield Theatre, with the largest student theatre stage in Europe, which regularly attracts big name comics, dance companies and dramatic productions. Lancaster also offers numerous museums, including the Lancaster City Museum, Maritime Museum and Judges' Lodgings Museum. Throughout the year, various festivals are held in and around the city, such as the Lancaster Jazz Festival and The Maritime Festival.

The city also entertains contestents in the Lancaster International Youth Games, a multi-sport 'Olympic' style event, featuring competitors from Lancaster's twin towns: Rendsburg (Germany), Perpignan (France), Viana do Castelo (Portugal), Aalborg (Denmark), Almere (Netherlands), Lublin (Poland) and Växjö (Sweden).

Lancaster's main football team, Lancaster City F.C., play in the Nationwide Conference North division for the 2005-06 season.

Geography

The M6 motorway passes to the east of Lancaster, and the West Coast railway line connects to Lancaster railway station.

Lancaster is the most northerly city in Lancashire, located three miles inland from Morecambe Bay.

Lancaster and Morecambe have grown into a single conurbation and are no longer administered separately. The City of Lancaster and the Borough of Morecambe merged in 1974 to form the District of Lancaster within the "shire" county of Lancashire.This was given city status and Lancaster City Council is the local governing body for the district.

Various facts

The most famous bomber aircraft of World War 2, the Lancaster Bomber, was named after the city.

Author Charles Dickens regularly visited Lancaster to gain inspiration for his work.

The Royal Navy Type 23 Frigate warship, HMS Lancaster, is affiliated with the city.

The words 'scientist' and 'dinosaur' were coined by Lancaster academics, William Whewell and Richard Owen respectively.

In recent years, Lancaster has experienced population growth in excess of regional averages.

Lancaster University's Ultralow Temperature Physics Group has twice achieved the lowest temperature in the known universe, coming within a few millionths of a degree above absolute zero.

Features of Lancaster

005 Friary.jpg|thumb|A typical Lancaster city scene. The spire visible belongs to an ex-church which has been

converted into a pub. ]]

See also

External links

Towns in Lancashire | Fairtrade settlements | English county towns

Lancaster (England) | Lancaster (miasto w Anglii) | Lancaster (Inglaterra) | Ланкастер (город) | Lancaster

 

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "Lancaster, Lancashire".

Home Page • arts • business • computers • games • health • hospitals • home • kids & teens • news • physicians • recreation• reference • regional • science • shopping • society • sports • world