A Walk Along the Glasson Waterway in Lancashire, UK

The last time I was in Lancashire I was able to go for a walk along one of the inland network of British waterways.

Galgate Marina

UK has a good network of waterways and normally there is a path next to them to walk along. I went for the walk on the Glasson branch, which is a part of the Lancaster canal of the British waterways.

Galgate to Lancaster waterway

While walking from the Galgate towards Preston side and then further taking a detour towards the Thurnham Hall side I observed that there are lot of Britishers who love to do boating or just to laze around in the sun where they have moored their boats. And in the evening either they play with their dogs or open a wine bottle and enjoy the scenery.

A house along the waterway

From Galgate one can walk till the Lancaster town which is about five miles along the waterway and is a beautiful trek to do. Else one can go in the opposite direction towards Garstang which is seven and Preston 24 miles from Galgate.  Another route that one can take is the Thurnham Hall upto Glasson Basin which is about 3 miles from Galgate.

Glasson Branch towards Thurnham & one of the six locks

The Glasson branch has six locks and a tidal sea lock to control the flow of water. You would be surprised that Galgate not only has berth holder facilities that are available but even  laundry is available. Galgate is just couple of miles from Lancaster University.

Also read other posts on Lancashire:
Lancaster to Morecambe Trail
Ashton Memorial - The Taj Mahal of the North
Lancaster Castle or Her Majesty's Prison
Clitheroe Castle, Lancashire
Spotting a Seal in Morecambe
Lancaster University Seen From a Different Angle
The Hidden Gem of Lancaster University

Lancaster University Seen From a Different Angle

Reflections in a water body gives a completely different perspective of things. The water body could be a permanent one like a lake, pond etc or just a temporary accumulation of water immediately after the rain. And this is the theme of this post where I am presenting to you some photos of various buildings and locations within the Lancaster University.

A small pond with Lotus flowers and reflecting the building next to it.

This is a small pond in between the Environment Centre and the Management School. Currently the building next to this has been demolished and a new building is coming up.

Carter Lake

The University has its own lake to boast of called the Carter lake! The reflection of the dense trees next to the water body gives the impression of a greater depth than it actually is.Though not a big lake it has lotus plants and flowers as well as numerous ducks. The lake is close to the Sports Centre.

Reflection of the sky on the road

This is near InfoLab21 which houses the School of Computing and Communications. It had rained just some time back so the water had not completely drained off from the road forming this temporary pool. The weather here is very unpredictable and it rains often.

LICA

This is next to the Lancaster Institute for Contemporary Arts or as everyone uses its acronym LICA. This artificial water body next to the building reflects not only the building  but also the sky and the lights. Again there are normally ducks floating on this water body.

Lancaster University

Again this is the reflection of the building very close to the Lancaster University Management School (LUMS). This small water pool reflects the various moods of the sky during the day.

Flowers

The above photo is close to the Cavendish Lecture Theatre and the Faraday Building that houses the Natural Sciences Building. Again this is immediately after rainfall. Across the University there are beautiful flowers that have been planted.

Bowland Building

This is the Bowland building's and the flower's reflection. This is very close to Alexandra Square which is like the centre of the University having the Learning Zone, shopping complex, University House, Library etc.


Also read: The Hidden Gem of Lancaster University

Lancaster to Morecambe Trail

Given an opportunity and time availability I prefer to walk rather then  taking a bus or other means of travel as you are able to observe nature much more closely in this manner. So when I thought of visiting Morecambe from Lancaster I decided to take a trail.

Lancaster town & River Lune

I got down at the Lancaster coach station and after crossing the town crossed the bridge over the river Lune (which then flows into the Irish Sea). The river stayed on my left side for some distance before it went further left and out of sight.

Lancaster-Morecambe Trail

The trail from Lancaster to Morecambe is approximately five kilometers long and is used both by the cyclists as well as the walkers. So it is advisable to stick to the side meant for walkers as else you may hamper the cyclists going with speed as well as risking both yourself as well as the cyclists.

Wild Fireweed flowers

On both sides of the trail there are nice green trees. If one wants some diversion on the way then in between the two places there are few parks with their own trails! On both sides there were also several kind of wild flowers in bloom lending the trail with further charm.

Wild flowers on the Lancaster-Morecambe trail

Once you reach Morecambe you have to go through very little of the town before you hit the promenade and you get a beautiful view here of the sea as well as the Lakeland Fells.

Morecambe Town & Promenade

I would write more on Morecambe in a separate post but in the meanwhile also read my earlier posts on Lancaster as well as Morecambe by clicking the links given below.

Spotting a Seal in Morecambe
Lancaster Castle or Her Majesty's Prison
Ashton Memorial - The Taj Mahal of the North
The Hidden Gem of Lancaster University

The Hidden Gem of Lancaster University

Besides the fact that Lancaster University is among the top rated universities of England it has another jewel in its crown.

Woodland Trail, Lancaster University

The Woodland Trail that encircles the University is superb for both the nature and the sports enthusiasts.

A canopy of trees, Woodland trail, Lancaster University

This beautiful 4.3 km walk amidst the woodland canopy has mainly trees of beech, oak and sycamore. The earlier plants were planted in 1841 on the Bigforth Estate and later additions do include maple and poplar trees.

View of countryside from the Woodland trail

The walk takes you sometimes amidst dense foliage of trees and sometimes gives you the view of the open countryside.

The Lake on Lancaster University Campus

The south-eastern part of the woodland trail takes you next to a lake that has lotus flowers blooming as well as several ducks on its water body.

The Bailrigg House, Lancaster University

The north-eastern part of the walk next to the sports centre takes you near the beautiful old building - Bailrigg House - that has been built around 1899.

Flowers on the Woodland Trail

The woodland is home to several birds and on several trees I saw the bird houses built by the University. The undergrowth also had several kinds of wild flowers blooming making the walk even more beautiful.

Wild Flowers

One of the best parts was to enjoy the beautiful sunsets sitting on one of the benches in the south-west part of the campus.

Blazingly beautiful sunset

During my stay on the campus I did the walk several times and enjoyed it thoroughly each time. With such a beautiful woodland trail within the campus what more can one ask? 

Lancaster Castle or Her Majesty's Prison

Lancaster Castle is located on a height in the historically important town of Lancaster over-lording the town.

Lancaster Castle or Her Majesty's Prison

Lancaster castle was built on the site of three consecutive Roman forts. It consists of an extensive group of historic structures including the 12th C Keep, the 14th C Witches Tower, the 15th C Gatehouse and the Female Penitentiary which dates from the early years of 19th C. It is a Grade I listed building with the area to the north of it designated as Scheduled National Monument.

The Witches Dungeon

The Well Tower, also known as the Witches Tower was built in 1325 and has three vaulted stone flagged underground dungeons that housed the Lancashire witches (as per the tradition) prior to their trial in the castle in 1612. The Pendle witches, accused of witchcraft were tried here. In fact Lancaster University has one of its colleges named as Pendle College.

The Gatehouse of the Lancaster Castle

After Henry IV's accession the twin towered Gatehouse were constructed in the 15th C. It has two semi octagonal towers which rise 20 meters high above their sloping plinths.

The 10-sided Shire Hall of Lancaster Castle

The Shire Hall is a splendid 10 sided room giving the public an easy access to the courtroom. From the 18th C the castle was substantially modified to use as a court and prison. Though the courts are still functional the prison was closed in 2011.

Towers & Spires of the Lancaster Castle

The 12th C Keep which is also known as the Lungess Tower is 20 meters high with the outer walls almost 3 meters thick! Compare this with our modern houses which have walls barely a feet in thickness!

View of Lancaster and Ashton Memorial from the Castle

Lancaster Castle is the property of Her Majesty the Queen in right of her Duchy of Lancaster. One gets a view of the town as well as the Ashton Memorial known as the Taj Mahal of the North from the ramparts of the castle.

The castle is opened to the public from 10 AM to 5 PM with guided tours available. There is also a restaurant and souvenir shop. One can take a round outside also on the Castle Park. The entry fee is 8 GBP and the castle is walk-able distance from both the train and the coach/bus station.

Also read: Ashton Memorial - The Taj Mahal of the North

Ashton Memorial - The Taj Mahal of the North

The Ashton Memorial building was built by Lord Ashton as a memorial to his second wife and presented to the inhabitants of Lancaster in AD 1907. John Belcher was the architect of this memorial.

The Ashton Memorial, Lancaster

Due to this reason it is also called as the 'Taj Mahal of the North' and also as 'England's grandest folly'. For the uninitiated a folly is a structure constructed mainly for decoration.

The Ashton Memorial

The building is located on the highest ground in the Lancaster area and is therefore visible from quite a distance from all sides.

Grandeur of Ashton Memorial

Likewise if you are in the Ashton Memorial building's halls higher up it will give you a 360 degree view of the entire area including the Lancaster town, the river Lune, the countryside and the Morecambe Bay.

View of the Lancaster town, river Lune & Morecambe Bay from Ashton Memorial

This 150 feet tall building is built in Edwardian Baroque style. Mainly Portland stone and Cornwall granite has been used in the construction of the building.

Hall inside the Ashton Memorial

The Ashton Memorial is situated in the huge Williamson Park. One can take walks for several hours inside the park and the various trails inside the park.

Another view of Ashton Memorial

The memorial is also a close mathematical centre point of the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland. The walk uphill from the Lancaster city centre to the memorial is also worth it. Though the building is beautiful indeed but it does not come anywhere close to Taj Mahal in comparison.