We will use the iconic building of Lancaster Castle to investigate how 2000 years of history has shaped the north-west of England. This course takes an innovative approach to exploring history, focusing on Lancaster Castle as a microcosm of broader trends. This fascinating location provides a wealth of evidence from the remains of Roman forts to its life as a prison and visitor attraction.

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Our engaging educators respond to the castle and its surroundings in relation to their research interests, such as medieval Anglo-Scottish warfare, the witchcraft trials of the seventeenth century and the achievements of prison reformers.

Join us to uncover this castle’s vital role in northern English history over many centuries.

What topics will you cover?

- The Roman coastal fort and its relationship to the northern frontier

- The Norman Castle: its role in Anglo-Scottish warfare and the emergence of the Duchy of Lancaster

- The Castle’s role as a prison for the Lancashire Witches, in the context of post-Reformation history

- The role as a debtors’ prison in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and changes in prison organisation

- The First and Second World Wars

- The importance of the castle to the region’s heritage

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you'll be able to...

- Reflect on the long sweep of history in relation to one site

- Interpret the regional context of broader historical trends

- Evaluate historical debates critically

- Explain the relationship between famous events or individuals and deeper social and political developments

- Explore several different types of source material