Corpora & Discourse International Conference 2026

Tourist Information

If you fancy exploring the local area, you have plenty of options to choose from!

We recommend visiting the Lancaster and Morecambe Bay website to find out more. This site includes a list of different things to do, places to eat and drink, visitor information and a calendar of local events.

Lancaster highlights

Some of the main highlights of Lancaster include:

Lancaster Castle

Lancaster Castle’s origins date back almost 1,000 years. The castle has been the scene of notable trials (such as the 1612 Pendle Witches trial), executions and has acted as a prison until as recently as 2011. The castle has been described by English Heritage as “not only the North-West’s most important historic and archaeological monument but also of international importance”. If you walk around the castle, you can enjoy views of the city and further afield, as well as visit Lancaster Priory.

Lancaster Museums

Lancaster is home to a range of museums, including the City Museum (which also houses the King’s Own Royal Regiment Museum), Maritime Museum, Cottage Museum, the Judges’ Lodgings and Lancashire Police Museum.

Williamson Park

Williamson Park entails 54 acres of park and woodland, with views across Morecambe Bay to the Lake District fells. Park attractions include the Ashton Memorial, Butterfly House (formerly a tropical palm house), a small animal zoo, woodland walks, play areas and a café with free wifi.

Lancaster Canal

Built to carry trade between Kendal and Preston, Lancaster Canal is now a haven for wildlife and is ideal for peaceful countryside walks. It’s unique for being a contour canal, as it is built along the natural lie of the land.

Other notable landmarks include:

Another highlight of Lancaster is the range of local shops, cafés, pubs/bars and restaurants.

  • Other honourable café and pub mentions that aren’t on the curated lists linked to above include:
    • Holm (a local Scandinavian coffee shop that also serves lunch, pastries and cakes),
    • the Music Room (Atkinsons’ first café, which sits at the foot of a 1730s Palladian façade in a Lancaster Trust building),
    • the Water Witch and White Cross (two canal-side pubs),
    • Merchants (located in 300-year-old former wine merchant’s cellars),
    • and many more!
  • Dietary requirements: If you are vegetarian, vegan or dairy intolerant, you might be interested in the Whale Tail Café (which offers ‘vegetarian, vegan and gluten free fresh, seasonal local produce; fair trade and organic ingredients used where possible’) and Pure Vegan (which serves a range of freshly baked cakes, tea, coffee, and vegan meals). If you are gluten free, you may find this guide to be useful: https://www.findmeglutenfree.com/gb/lancaster. Many places in Lancaster cater for dietary requirements so it’s worth exploring where you fancy going.
  • Lancaster also hosts a Charter market on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
  • If you’re a keen coffee or tea drinker, look out for Atkinson’s, which was established in 1837 as the Grasshopper Tea Warehouse and has had its shop in the same premises since 1901. Atkinson’s tea and coffee is served in many cafés across Lancaster.

Nearby places of interest

You may also be interested in visiting nearby places (many of which can be easily accessed by bus and/or train), such as:

Alternatively, you can get on a train and travel to nearby cities, such as Manchester and Liverpool or, if you’d like to go further afield, there are also trains to London, Edinburgh, Glasgow and many more UK cities too…