History
 Lancaster is a historic city with strong Roman and medieval roots.
Up until the late 17th century Lancaster was a small market town. However after this time it benefited from the growth of colonies in North America and the West Indies finding itself in a good position for maritime trade lying just a few miles from the Lune estuary.
Facilitated by the expanding British Empire, along with the development of trade in tobacco, timber, sugar and coffee, the town prospered. During this period of prosperity in the 17th and 18th century, Lancaster established its reputation as England’s third busiest port after London and Bristol and became one of England’s richest towns.
The origins of Lawson’s Quay
In 1652, George Fox, the founding father of the Religious Society of Friends, the Quakers, came to visit Lancaster to preach to its population, but having invaded the Priory during a service, he was chased down St. Leonard’s Gate by the congregation and took refuge at the home of John Lawson, a local merchant who was subsequently converted by Fox and founded Lancaster’s local group of Quakers.
John Lawson later became one of the Valiant Sixty, a group of early leaders and activists in the Religious Society of Friends. Around 1680 John Lawson bought the first sugar house in St. Leonard’s Gate from John Hodgson and built a bridge over the mill stream and a wharf on the Green Ayre called Lawson’s Quay to allow for easier access from the River Lune to his sugar house.
Modern Lancaster
Lancaster is the administrative and service centre of one of the UK’s largest geographical districts.
It acts as a hub for business, retail and the arts covering a wide geographic area including north Lancashire, south Cumbria and parts of West Yorkshire.
Modern Lancaster is home to two highly successful universities. The University of Lancaster is the highest rated university in the North West of England with a Management School rated among the top 10 in the UK. It attracts a very high calibre of undergraduates, post-graduates, academics and overseas students.
The University of Cumbria is headquarted in the city with other campuses located in Cumbria and London. The university has a strong reputation in teacher education and training.
Together the two universities provide a strong employment base, an excellent pool of talent for local companies and, through its incubator centres, a range of new businesses at the cutting edge of new product development.
The universities have enabled the city to build on a reputation for cultural diversity and inclusivity. In the arts the Dukes Theatre has an excellent reputation for both theatre and film; the Grand Theatre has a gift for attracting the big stars to play this small venue and there are a host of focused groups such as Ludus - dance - and Folly - digital arts - offering specialist arts projects.
The city is also home to a diverse and exciting range of companies, all of whom have found a great place to live and work. For more information visit www.lancaster.gov.uk.
Located just four miles away is the seaside town of Morecambe. After decades of decline the resort has seen a huge revival in fortunes culminating in the re-opening of the art deco Midland Hotel. The area is likely to see significant investment following planning consent for major road improvements that will speed access to the town.
Tourism isn't just focused on the seaside. Lancaster's history has provided a city with a wealth of wonderful architecture, museums and exciting things to see and do - making it one of the best places in the UK to live, work and play.
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