One of the most historic sites in the county, Lancaster Castle, was founded (roughly) during the 11th century, built on the site of a Roman fort.
Fully functioning as a prison until 2011, the castle is under the ownership of the Duchy of Lancaster, Her Majesty the Queen, and is still operational today as a Crown Court, as well as a site of historical and cultural significance.
The castle has incurred substantial damage throughout the years, mainly through military action and attempted invasions, during the Norman Conquest, the Scottish invasion in the 14th Century, and later, the English Civil War.
It came under the ownership of the crown during the 14th Century, when Henry, Duke of Lancaster, ascended to the throne (Henry IV). He undertook a great deal of building work in his time, with over £2500 being spent on renovations and additions, including the gatehouse. Since then, there has been various restoration work on areas of the castle.
(Image from Lancaster University)
Witness to numerous trials and executions over the years, Lancaster Castle comes second, only to London, as the site to have sentenced more people to death than any other county in England. This, however, is largely due to Lancaster Castle not only being responsible for the county of Lancashire, but also the larger, industrial jurisdictions of Manchester and Liverpool.
Prison and Executions
Used a county ‘gaol’ in the 16/17th century, the castle would hold prisoners for a short period whilst awaiting trial, which would occur at the castle’s court. From the 18th century onwards, the castle began to hold prisoners for longer periods of time; prisoners that were not exiled, to the colonies/Australia, would be sentenced to hang, as there was no concept/belief of criminals being able to reform during that time.
These executions often took place on Lancaster Moor, later taking place within the castle complex, at ‘Hanging Corner’, in an angle between the tower and the wall on the east side of the terrace steps, until 1865. When executions were later performed more privately, due to the Capital Punishment Amendment Act of 1868, they would occur in the yard at the foot of the keep.
Around 265 people were hanged in Lancaster between 1782 and 1865. The final public execution was on March 25th 1865, where Stephen Burke was hanged for the murder of his wife. The very last private execution in Lancaster, however, has been recorded as one Thomas Rawcliffe in 1910.
(Image from wikipedia.com)
Closing as a prison in 1916, the castle formally reopened as one in 1955 as HM Prison Lancaster, and a Crown Court, which still remains in operation despite the prison’s relatively recent closure in 2011.
The castle is currently running a new, special event, ‘Prison Life Tours’, on particular dates from 14th- 28th November, discussing themes of prison design, diet, work, health and hygiene, rules, punishment etc.
There will also be Christmas related events next month, from the 16th- 17th December.
For more information on the history of the castle, tours and events, the link to the official website is here: http://www.lancastercastle.com/