The Shire Hall, Lancaster Castle
Organisation: Crown Court/Magistrate, Museum
Collections held: Courts, Prisons
Dates: Before 1700, 1700-1799, 1800-1849, 1850-1899, 1900-1949, 1950-present
Lancaster Castle has a small collection of artefacts and a large percentage of them are on display and can be accessed by the public by taking part in a guided tour. The courts still operate on site. Our biggest asset is the building iteslf, a prison for 800 years (1196-2011) and Court from around 1200 until the present day.
Castle Park, Lancaster LA1 1YJ, United Kingdom
Contact: lancastercastle@lancashire.gov.uk
Any publications or other relevant material about the collection / history of the organisation?
Lancaster Castle: A Brief History by John Champness
Historic Buildings?
Former HMP Lancaster Castle in operation until 2011, owned by Duchy of Lancaster.
Early example of Panopticon (1821)
Lancaster Crown Court 1796 - present day
The Shire Hall, Civil Court 1796 - present day
Who can access the collection?
External (public)
How big is the collection?
| Documents: | 11-100 |
| Photographs: | 101- 500 |
| Objects: | 101- 500 |
| Artwork: | 11- 100 |
| Books/journals/magazines: | 11- 100 |
Photo credits
The Shire Hall, Lancaster Castle