Lancaster is a genteel beauty, graced with Georgian townhouses in the centre of town, and some very grand stately homes just outside, plus a castle, a priory church and a cathedral. Lancaster also has a canal, an aqueduct and a university, so it can be lively, as well as elegant and historic. The best places to stay in Lancaster range from friendly pubs-with-rooms, through historic hotels, and manor houses turned B&B — a good range for all budgets!
This area has been inhabited since the first century, when the Romans had a fort here — and a bath-house — and historians think it’s been continuously inhabited since. With all these stories to tell, Lancaster has a collection of impressive historic buildings and some fantastic museums, including a maritime museum.
Lancaster’s arts scene offers up a carousel of interesting art, music and theatrical opportunities — as with many great university cities. The Nuffield Theatre, one of the largest studio theatres in Europe, the Peter Scott Gallery, the annual ‘Play in the Park’, and Litfest, Lancaster’s literature festival, are probably the jewels in Lancaster’s arts crown. Lancaster’s foodie scene is lively and creative too, its ale scene is especially impressive, making the best places to stay in Lancaster great, and unusual, options for a food-lovers mini break.