Institute enjoys Lancaster Away Day

Staff from the Institute of Transport and Tourism (ITT) recently enjoyed an Away Day in Lancaster.

The group were given a tour of Lancaster Castle, recently opened to the public, by Ruth Jenkins from Global Link. The charity is completing a project, ‘Documenting Dissent’, about the various prisoners of conscience (such as Quakers, Catholics, homosexuals, Luddites, Chartists) held and sometimes executed at the Castle.

Ruth also explained some of the connections between transport and Lancaster’s development, from Roman times to the Millennium cycle and foot bridge.

The day continued with a walk along some of the old railway line to Glasson Dock which took freight away from the Lancaster Canal, but has now been converted into a pedestrian and cycle track.

After lunch on The Quay, a reminder of Lancaster’s heyday as a port even larger than Liverpool, the group visited the monument commemorating the many slaves transported to America by ships based at Lancaster. The landlady explained how their local-produce policy works and how developments at the Castle are helping attract more staying visitors.

The afternoon's discussions covered the research projects, papers and teaching undertaken by the Institute in the previous year and plans for the current academic year. They were followed by a walk along the towpath to a popular canal-side pub, a stopping place for the canal waterbus.

There was just time to visit the Fairfield project, where a local Residents' Association has used a grant to create a new nature reserve, board walk and community orchard, before returning to UCLan.