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Secrets of Great British Castles: Lancaster revealed

28th November 2016

LancasterCastle is to be the subject of a TV documentary this Friday night on Channel 5.

In his second series of ‘Secrets of Great British Castles’, historian and presenter Dan Jones focuses on the turbulent history of six of Britain’s most famous fortresses: Edinburgh, Cardiff, York, Lancaster, Leeds and Arundel.

This week’s programme is on Lancaster Castle and its pivotal role over the centuries, from the days of King John, through the Lancashire Witch Trials in 1612 and right up to the present day. It highlights the Castle’s rich history as a court, as a prison and as a centre of justice for almost 800 years and includes an interview with a direct descendant of a sheep-rustler sentenced to transportation from the court room which is still in service today.

Part of the ancient Duchy of Lancaster inheritance since Henry III gifted it to his son Edmund Crouchback in 1267, Lancaster Castle was still a working prison until 2011. In the five years since the decommissioning of Her Majesty Prison at Lancaster Castle, the Duchy has been painstakingly restoring the fabric of its historic buildings while opening up as much of the Castle as possible to the public. Today it serves as an iconic cultural, educational and tourist hub for the city.

‘Secrets of Great British Castles: Lancaster Castle’ will be screened on Channel 5 at 8pm on Friday 2ndDecember 2016.

duchy of lancaster