Lancaster Castle (Lancaster)
Lancaster Castle stands on a hill overlooking the old city of Lancaster.
The site was originally a Roman fort, of which there are scanty remains nearby.
The castle was built originally by Roger de Poitou shortly after the Norman Conquest. He forfeited his land in 1102, after taking part in the rebellion against Henry I, and the castle passed to the crown.
Considerable rebuilding was carried out by King John, who held court here in 1206.
The castle was one of many owned by John of Gaunt, whose son Henry Bolingbroke seized the crown as Henry IV.
One of the best known features of the castle is the John of Gaunt Gate, built by Henry IV.
From the 17th century, Lancaster Castle has functioned as a prison and criminal court. In 1612, the old women known as the Pendle Witches were taken from here, marched through the town and hanged. The notorious miscarriage of justice meted out to the "Birmingham Six" took place here in 1974.
During the Civil War it was besieged by Royalists, and in 1715 was briefly occupied by the Jacobites during the rebellion. They set the prisoners free.
Today, the castle, although not the prison, is open to the public, and there are guided tours.
From the hillside outside, there are wonderful views across Morecambe Bay to the mountains of the Lake District.