NAVIGATION
Virtual
Hosting by
TheServerBank
Photos
by John Moss
|
Lancaster
& Liverpool
Day Trips in the Northwest of England
|
|
The
City of Lancaster
The university
City of Lancaster, and ancient house of the Plantagenet Kings
of England, has a great deal to offer the tourist. The Priory
Church, the Judge's House and Lancaster Castle are just a few
amongst Lancaster's many museums and memorials. By car, the
trip takes about three-quarters of an hour by Motorway : exit
Manchester centre via Salford and the M602, take the M61 junction
signposted "Preston" and follow signs for Preston until joins
the M6 Motorway northbound. Continue past Blackpool and Morecambe.
Lancaster is well signposted and can be seen on approach by
the white dome of the Ashton Memorial.
Book
a Hotel in or near Lancaster
Williamson
Park in Lancaster
Photo: Ashton Memorial, Williamson Park, Lancaster
Courtesy of
www.webbaviation.co.uk
© 2005
CLICK
ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE
A major attraction
in the city is Williamson Park. This is a delightfully tranquil
place of more than 40 acres of beautiful parkland and children's
play areas, for entertainment, strolling and generally taking
the opportunity for relaxation. It is dominated by the white Ashton
Memorial, whose white dome can be seen for many miles around the
Lancashire countryside and marks the city's approach from the
M6 Motorway like a guiding beacon. Also in Williamson Park is
the Butterfly House, which houses many exotic and tropical species
which are free to fly around amidst its beautiful trees and plants.
The park also contains a Conservation Garden, wildlife pool and
the Mini Beast House. There is also a free-flying Foreign Bird
Enclosure.
The Ashton Memorial itself is an Edwardian folly, built for the
sheer pleasure it might give, and is situated in the heart of
the park. You may also like to visit the Pavilion Tearoom and
Souvenir Shop.
Lancaster
Castle
Another
interesting visit is Lancaster Castle, which is one of the best
preserved working castles in the country. It is still used as
a law court and a prison. The castle is open to the public from
Good Friday to the end of October, from 10.00am to 4.00pm, unless
there is a Court in sitting ; would-be visitors would be advised
to telephone 01524-64998 beforehand to check.
The City
of Lancaster has many fine buildings and Museums open to the
public, and hosts a whole series of historically themed events.
Contact :
|
The City of Lancaster
overlooking Morecambe Bay and the Lake District beyond
The Ashton Memorial
in
Williamson Park
|
|
|
The City of
Liverpool
Liverpool - the
Liver Building & the Mersey Ferry Terminal
Aerial Photograph
Courtesy of www.webbaviation.co.uk
© 2005
CLICK
ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE
Situated at
the end of the M62 Motorway, about 40 miles and under one hour's
drive from Manchester City Centre, the City of Liverpool makes
for a contrasting, interesting one day trip from Manchester.
See
also:
Book
Liverpool Hotels
Liverpool
History
Liverpool
takes its name from the original mile long inlet from the River
Mersey, (the "Pool"), which once existed there. It was filled
in the 18th century and the entrance to the Mersey Tunnel marks
its original site. The term "Liver" has 2 possible explanations.
One, the old English word "Liefer" meaning 'thick' - a reference
to the mud which abounded around the Pool, or an alternative explanation
is "Lithe", the old Danish word meaning an inlet by a marsh. Either
way, the city's origins lie in the fact that it sprang up around
a muddy inlet on the Mersey. In historical terms, Liverpool is
not an old city - there is no reference made to it in the Domesday
Book, and the first record of the name "Liuepul" is in documents
of 1192 belonging to John, Count of Mortain, later King John,
to whom the lands of Liverpool were granted. It has much to offer
the tourist .
The Albert
Docks in Liverpool
The massive
fully restored Albert Docks are possible the best first port of
call, and they make a good base from which to explore the city,
as they are well signposted and there is extensive free parking.
Many visitors find a whole day's worth at the Docks alone, with
its many attractions, including the Liverpool Tate Gallery (entry
free), the Maritime Museum and "The Beatles Experience". The latter
is a full multimedia experience of the life and works of Liverpool's
most celebrated pop stars, and it is a mecca for Beatles fans.
The Albert Docks, designed by the engineer Jessie Hartley, were
opened by Prince Albert, after whom they were named, on 30 July
1846. It covers about 73/4 acres and has 5 massive warehouses
providing 1.3 million square feet of floor space. The whole dock
complex bustles with life and energy, with its various original
storage sheds and wharves now crammed with a profusion of shops
offering souvenirs, books and mementoes of the city. There are
several fully licenced restaurants of various ethnic types on
site, as well as a good selection of small cafés, snack bars,
pubs and teashops. Several public conveniences. The Docks are
largely covered and therefore popular on wet days in the city.
The Liverpool
Maritime Museum
The Maritime
Museum is a large and impressive restoration of a large warehouse,
dedicated to the maritime history of Liverpool, with its own restaurant
and shops. An entry charge is payable, but well worth it if you
are stimulated by sailing ships and the sea. The collection includes
many scale models of sailing vessels of all types from the earliest
wooden ships to massive steel liners of the Cunard lines. Permanent
exhibitions deal with the slave trade and with emigration to the
new world - each illustrated by full audio-visual technology.
There is a full restaurant available within the Museum.
Liverpool's
Two Cathedrals
Also worth
visiting are Liverpool's 2 cathedrals - the Neo-Gothic Anglican
and the modern Metropolitan Catholic Cathedral of Christ the King,
which stand high on the hill overlooking the city and the River
Mersey, and connected by Hope Street.
Galleries
Liverpool's
many other tourist attractions include the Tate Gallery, the Walker
Art Gallery, the Bluecoat Galleries, the Museum of Liverpool Life,
the Royal Liver Building Tours, and the Liverpool Museum itself.
Information can be obtained from Tourist Information Centres which
are found at the end of this entry.
Ferries
Across the Mersey
Perhaps no
visit to Liverpool would be complete without a ride on the inimitable
Mersey Ferry, Round trip heritage ferry crossings to Birkenhead
across the Mersey on the Wirral Peninsula sail twice-hourly, and
there are recorded commentaries to describe and explain the spectacular
waterfront views encountered on the trip.
The Cavern
Club & the Beatles
A visit to
the Cavern Night Club, the famed starting place of the Beatles,
is another understandably popular venue for tourists to Liverpool.
The Cavern Club was reopened in 1984, and restored to its original
style and character, still generates all the dynamic musical energy
of its heyday in the 1960s. There are discos and a full programme
of live music on offer - open Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday
evenings. Telephone : 0151-236 9091 for current details. There
is also a Beatles Magical Mystery Tour bus, which visits Penny
Lane and Strawberry Fields. Advance booking available by telephoning
0151-709 3631. There is also a Cavern Pub nearby which serves
food and drink all day.
Merseyside
Wanderers
A club which
keeps ex-Merseysiders in touch with what's happening at home.
Enrol as a member and receive regular issues of the Liverpool
International Echo. For information Tel : 0151-709 2444.
Tourist
Information Centres
Mersey
Tourist Information
24 hour hotline Tel : 0151-708 8838.
Merseyside
Welcome Centre
Clayton Square Shopping Centre, Liverpool L1. Tel : 0151-708 8838
(24hr) Tel : 0151-709 3631 (afternoons only)
Tourist
Information Centre
Atlantic Pavilion, Albert Dock, Liverpool L3.
Tel : 0151-708 8854 (afternoons only)
Internet
There is a
full information service about Liverpool and Merseyside on the
Internet at the following address : http://www.connect.org.uk/
merseyworld/tourism. Email Merseyside Tourism & Conference Bureau's
email address is : tourism@mail.cybase.co.uk
See Also:
|
The Liver Building
from across the Mersey
The Two Cathedrals
|
|
