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The castle is now open to the public seven days a week and is undergoing a large-scale refurbishment. There is a large sweeping public piazza, allowing access to the cloistered area, renovated in 2019.
Reputed to be the oldest continually sitting Crown Court in the country, this oak-panelled room still features the original branding iron used on ‘malefactors’ appearing in the dock. The courtroom – but not the branding iron! – is still in use today.
Since being established by the Romans the castle has been a home to monarchs, a place of trial and execution, and a working prison right up until 2012. Still a crown court, the majority of the castle is now open to the public for the first time in over 1,000 years. Duration: 1-2 hours.
- (2.7K)
- Attraction
- Castle Parade, Lancaster
The current purposes of Lancaster Castle are to serve as a tourist attraction and educational facility. The former prison and military stronghold has been heavily renovated since 2011, most recently in 2019, with the addition of the university suite. The castle is also actively used as a Crown Court.
Oct 6, 2005 · The Castle is still a working court and prison and famous trials include the famous Lancashire Witches trial in 1612.
During the 18th century, parts of the castle were converted into a prison, and it continued to serve as a working prison until 2011. The castle’s prison facilities have since been decommissioned, and the site is now open to the public, offering a glimpse into its historic past.
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The Castle finally closed as a prison in 2011 and since May 2013, the castle has been opened up to the public as a visitor attraction. In 1999 The Queen attended a service in the adjacent Priory Church to celebrate the 600th anniversary of the link between the Crown and the Duchy of Lancaster.
