IPublic · listed 1970Lancaster CastlePhoto: The wub · CC BY-SA 4.0
Lancaster Castle · Photo: The wub · CC BY-SA 4.0AHistory Grade
History of Lancaster · Historic England
323 listed buildings, 4 of them Grade I
Historic England counts them inside Lancaster’s built-up area, 61 for every 10,000 residents. It also has 3 scheduled monuments. 29% of its homes were built before 1919. We have photos of 28 of its listed buildings and 4 old views of the town. Lancaster grades A for history: #2 of 65 in Lancashire.
Listed buildings
323
61 per 10,000 residents
Grade I
4
exceptional interest
Grade II*
23
more than special interest
Scheduled monuments
3
1 registered park or garden
Homes built before 1919
29%
typical UK town 15%
In pictures
Lancaster in 35 photos and old views
Nearly every Grade I and II* building, photographed, and the town before 1950. Tap a photo to step through them full screen.
Ashton MemorialGrade I listed
Priory and Parish Church of St MaryGrade I listed
Mill Hall, Moor Lane Mill NorthGrade II listed
Lancaster Canal Old Blacksmiths Shop Approximately 30 Metres East of Basin BridgeGrade II listed
Grand TheatreGrade II listed+30See all photosPhotos from Wikimedia Commons and Geograph, copied to our own server, each credited to its photographer with its licence; names open the building’s page or its official list entry.
Through time
Lancaster from 1800 to 1903
4 old photos and postcards, in date order. All public domain, made before 1950.
1800
1890
c. 1892
1903Public domain, from Wikimedia Commons, copied to our own server. Each credit opens the image’s page with its full description and history.
The map
Where Lancaster’s history is
Every Grade I and II* building, monument and historic park, over the age of each neighbourhood’s homes.
Grade IGrade II*Scheduled monumentPark or garden
Homes built before 1919, by neighbourhoodunder 10%10–25%25–50%50%+
5 of 32neighbourhoods have mostly pre-1919 homes; in the oldest, 96% were built before 1919.
Hover a dot for its name; tap one with a photo to open it.
323 listed buildings by grade
4 Grade I23 Grade II*296 Grade II
Historic England lists buildings in three grades: Grade I for buildings of exceptional interest (about 2.5% of all listed buildings), Grade II* for particularly important buildings of more than special interest (about 5.8%), and Grade II for buildings of special interest (about 91.7%). Listing protects the whole building, inside and out.
Every entry on the National Heritage List for England whose point lies inside the ONS 2022 built-up-area boundary. One list entry can cover a terrace or a group of buildings. Neighbourhood dots: the population-weighted centre of each Census 2021 output area, coloured by its neighbourhood’s (LSOA’s) share of homes built before 1919 (Valuation Office Agency, March 2025).
Grade I
The 4 Grade I listed buildings in Lancaster
Buildings of exceptional interest, about 2.5% of all listed buildings. Every one is photographed. Each opens its own page, with the official list entry.
IMemorials · listed 1953Ashton MemorialPhoto: Mark Longair from London, United Kingdom · CC BY-SA 2.0
IChurch · listed 1953Lancaster PrioryOn the list as Priory and Parish Church of St MaryPhoto: Alexander P Kapp · CC BY-SA 2.0
IWalls & gates · listed 1953Judges' LodgingsOn the list as The Judges' Lodgings, Attached Forecourt, Steps, Gate Piers, Gates and RailingsPhoto: The wub · CC BY-SA 4.0
Grade II*
The 23 Grade II* listed buildings in Lancaster
Particularly important buildings of more than special interest. 21 are photographed.
II*Cathedral · listed 1994Lancaster CathedralOn the list as Cathedral Church of St PeterPhoto: The wub · CC BY-SA 4.0
II*Church · listed 1953St John the Evangelist's ChurchOn the list as Church of St JohnPhoto: Phil Williams · CC BY-SA 2.0
II*Public · listed 1953Lancaster City MuseumOn the list as City Museum, The Old Town HallPhoto: The wub · CC BY-SA 4.0
II*Street furniture · listed 1953Conservative Club and Attached RailingsPhoto: Humphrey Bolton · CC BY-SA 2.0
II*Church · listed 1953Friends Meeting HousePhoto: The wub · CC BY-SA 4.0
II*Public · listed 1953Custom HouseOn the list as Maritime MuseumPhoto: Jhsteel · CC BY-SA 3.0
II*Public · listed 1994Moor Hospital, Blocks 40,41,42,44 and 46Photo: Eileen Cowen · CC BY-SA 2.0
II*House · listed 1953Music RoomPhoto: Humphrey Bolton · CC BY-SA 2.0
II*Inns & shops · listed 1995National Westminster Bank Lancaster bankOn the list as National Westminster BankPhoto: Humphrey Bolton · CC BY-SA 2.0
II*House · listed 1953Numbers 18 and 18A Including Attached Privy HousePhoto: Peter James · CC BY-SA 4.0
II*Walls & gates · listed 1953Penny's Almshouses Including Chapel and Screen WallPhoto: Jhsteel · CC BY-SA 3.0
II*Memorials · listed 1970Queen Victoria MemorialPhoto: Jhsteel · CC BY-SA 3.0
Show the other 11
II*Inns & shops · listed 1953Ring O' Bells Public HousePhoto: Antiquary · CC BY-SA 4.0
II*Public · listed 1970Royal Albert HospitalOn the list as Royal Albert Hospital (original part only)Photo: Peter Bond · CC BY-SA 2.0
II*Memorials · listed 1995War MemorialOn the list as The war memorial, Westfield War Memorial VillagePhoto: Humphrey Bolton · CC BY-SA 2.0
II*Public · listed 1953Lancaster Town HallOn the list as Town HallPhoto: Jhsteel · CC BY-SA 3.0
II*House · listed 195320, Castle ParkPhoto: Peter I. Vardy · CC BY-SA 4.0
II*House · listed 195322, Castle ParkPhoto: Peter I. Vardy · CC BY-SA 4.0
II*House · listed 195338-42, Parliament StreetPhoto: Peter James · CC BY-SA 4.0
II*House · listed 197042 and 44, Church StreetPhoto: Antiquary · CC BY-SA 4.0
II*House · listed 195378 and 80, Church StreetPhoto: Peter James · CC BY-SA 4.0
Public · listed 1970Ripley School ChapelOn the list as Chapel of Ripley St Thomas School
House · listed 1970Pebble Forecourt to Numbers 18, 18A, 20 and 22
Historic streets
The Castle Hill and Church Street have the most listed buildings
Streets by the listed entries with an address on them. One entry can be a whole terrace, so long rows count once.
Castle Hill14 listed
Church Street14 listed · 2 II*
Market Street13 listed
New Street13 listed
King Street12 listed
Queen Street12 listed
Dalton Square9 listed
Castle Park8 listed · 2 II*
St Georges Quay7 listed
Sun Street7 listed
Queen Square4 listed
Cable Street3 listed
Of the 323 entries, 150 are named by a street address; the rest are named buildings such as churches, halls and bridges.
What’s protected
Most of Lancaster’s listed buildings are homes
Every listed building sorted by what its list name says it is.
Houses, terraces & villas196
Public & civic buildings40
Walls, gates & bridges30
Inns, shops & warehouses29
Churches, chapels & priories18
Memorials, crosses & tombs6
Street furniture4
196 entries (61%) are houses, terraces and villas. 18 are churches, chapels and priories, including 1 of the 4 Grade I buildings.
Buildings are sorted by words in each entry’s name (church, gate, inn, memorial…): the list’s open data has no building type. An entry named only by its address counts as a house.
Grade II
296 Grade II listed buildings
Most listed buildings are in this grade, which covers buildings of special interest. Open any building to read its official list entry.
The first 150 of 296 Grade II listed buildings, A to Z
Abbotts Stained Glass WorkshopAlexandra HotelAssemblyBalustrades Around Central GardensBarclays BankBarn at Royal Albert Farm, Royal Albert HospitalBath HouseBeaumont HallBeaumont Hall Bridge (Number 109)Becontree HouseBier and TwistBlock 2, Moor Lane Mills NorthBlue Anchor Public House (Part) and Rear Building on Lawson's YardBoundary Walls, Railings, Gates and Gate Piers at Lancaster Moor HospitalBowerham HouseBrown Cow Public HouseBruntons Warehouse (South Eastern Part Only)Carus Lodge CottageCathedral HouseCathedral School Including Attached Wall, Rilings and DoorwayCentenary ChurchChildrens LibraryChrist ChurchChrist Church Primary SchoolChurch HouseChurch StepsChurch of St JosephChurch of St LukeChurch of St Michael, Moor HospitalChurch of St PaulChurch of St ThomasCooperative StoreCovell CrossCross in Roman Catholic CemeteryDacrelandsDuke of Lancaster Public HouseDukes TheatreEntrance Gateway at Ripley St Thomas SchoolEntrance Lodge at Ripley St Thomas SchoolFarmers Arms Hotel Farmer's Arms HotelFormer Masonic HallFormer National SchoolFormer VicarageFormer Warehouse Behind Number 5 Great John Street Warehouse Behind Number 5Garden House Behind Number 2, GreycourtGarden Wall Extending South from Privy House Attached to Numbers 18 and 18AGate Piers Approximately 15 Metres East of Scale HallGate Piers Approximately 15 Metres South of Friends' Meeting HouseGate Piers Approximately 5 Metres South West of Scale HallGate Piers, Gates and Walls to Williamson ParkGate Piers, Steps and Wall Opposite Junction with Dallas RoadGeorge and Dragon Public HouseGolgothaGolgotha with Attached Garden WallsGolgotha with Attached Garden WallsGolgotha with Attached Garden WallsGolgotha with Attached Garden WallsGrand TheatreGreaves ParkGreycourtHaverbreaks Bridge (Number 95)High Street CottageHighmount House and Attached RailingsHsbcJohn O' Gaunt Public HouseLaburnum Cottage and Attached Store to RightLancaster Canal Basin Bridge (Number 98)Lancaster Canal Dolphinlee Bridge (Number 105)Lancaster Canal Newton Beck CulvertLancaster Canal Old Blacksmiths Shop Approximately 30 Metres East of Basin BridgeLancaster Canal Old Boathouse on East Side of Canal Approximately 100 Metres West of Basin BridgeLancaster Girls' Grammar SchoolLaurel BankLodge to Royal Albert HospitalLodge to Williamson ParkMain Building at Royal Albert Farm, Royal Albert HospitalMalthouseMill 1, Moor Lane Mills SouthMill Hall, Moor Lane Mill NorthMonument Approximately 19 Metres West of Tower of Priory Church of St MaryMoor Hospital, New BlockNew Inn Public HouseNumber 2 and Attached Walls and RailingsNumber 24 with Attached Forecourt WallNumber 4 and Attached RailingsNumber 4 and Attached RailingsNurses' HomeOld Fire StationPair of Gate Piers and Wall at Roadside, West of United Reformed ChurchPalatine HallPeel HousePerimeter Walls and Gateway of Roman Catholic CemeteryPiers and Low Wall Around Castle Precinct to South of CastlePiers, Walls and Railings to Carus Lodge, Adjoining Carus Lodge CottagePosts (Five) at South West End, Near Junction with Castle ParkPosts (Two) at North East End, To South of Church StepsPublic LibraryPye's BuildingRailway Station BuildingRawlinson Memorial Approximately 13 Metres North of Tower of Church of St MaryRipley St Thomas's School, Original School BuildingRow of Outhouses Approximately 3 Metres to Rear of Numbers 3-10 (Consecutive) GolgothaRoyal Bank of ScotlandRoyal Grammar School (Old School)Royal Hotel and Owen HouseRoyal Kings Arms Hotel and 2-8 King StreetRoyal Lancaster Infirmary (Original Building)Ryelands HouseRyelands LodgeScale HallSkerton Liberal ClubSouthern Range of Buildings, Royal Albert Farm, Royal Albert HospitalSt Leonards HouseSt Walburga's ConventStonewell TavernStorey HomeStorey InstituteStorey Institute, Back EntranceSun InnSundial Approximately 15 Metres South of Tower of Priory Church of St MaryThe Barracks, White CrossThe BobbinThe KnollThe Palm HouseThe Staggered InnThe Three Mariners Public HouseThree Columns Adjoining the Southern Corner of Number 14 (Nantyr)Three Warehouses, Now Part of Number 26, Maritime MuseumTonnage WarehouseTrades HallTramway HotelUnited Reformed ChurchVictoria Corn MillWaggon Works (Front Range and Office)Wagon and Horses Public HouseWalls and Railings Around the Church of St ThomasWalls, Gate Piers and Gates to Town Hall GardensWar MemorialWar Memorial Approximately 5 Metres North of Christ ChurchWarehouse Number 3Warehouse on Corner of Duke Street (Warehouse Number 10)Warehouse on Corner of Elm StreetWaring and Gillow's ShowroomsWater Closet Cubicle Immediately North of Apse of Church of St Michael, Moor HospitalWater Closet Cubicle Immediately South of West Porch of Church of St Michael, Moor HospitalWery WallWestbourne HouseWestern Range of Buildings at Royal Albert Farm, Royal Albert HospitalWindermere HouseWorkshop at Croskell's Farm Approximately 2.0 Metres West of Farmhouse
Conservation areas
9 conservation areas cover 13% of Lancaster
Areas the council protects as a whole: demolition and changes to how buildings look need consent, and trees are protected.
Lancaster 201185 ha
Lancaster Moor 202213 ha
Greaves Road 199111 ha
Cannon Hill 20109 ha
Aldcliffe Road 19936 ha
Williamson Park 19865 ha
Westfield Memorial Village 19934 ha
Slyne Road 20204 ha
Bath Mill 19832 ha
138 hain conservation areas, of 1,084 ha inside the built-up area.
The first, Bath Mill, was designated in 1983; the newest, Lancaster Moor, in 2022. 285 of the 323 listed buildings stand in one.
Historic England’s conservation areas layer, supplied by councils (incomplete in places, so a page fact, never graded). Hectares are the part of each area inside the built-up area.
How the list grew
118 of Lancaster’s 323 listed buildings were added in 1995
The year each building now on the list was first listed.
1995 · 1181970 · 901953 · 64
19501960197019801990200020102020
The first 64 entries were listed in 1953, 3 of the 4 Grade I buildings among them. 118 came in 1995. Only 0 have been added in the last 15 years.
Monuments & landscapes
Monuments, parks and gardens
Designations that overlap the town by a tenth of their area or half a hectare.
3 scheduled monuments
Nationally important archaeological sites and monuments, protected by law; work on them needs consent from the Secretary of State, advised by Historic England.
1 registered park or garden
History Grade
Lancaster grades A for history
Protected heritage and the age of the town’s homes, against all UK towns.
Protected heritage, for its size and in all (361 points, 69 per 10,000 residents)More than 79% of UK towns
Homes built before 1919 (29%)More than 82% of UK towns
Two measures, each ranked against every UK town of 1,000 or more, with protected heritage counting twice as much as the age of homes. Protected heritage counts each listed building by its grade (Grade I three points, II* two, II one), each scheduled monument and battlefield two, and each registered park or garden by its grade; it is ranked both per 10,000 residents and as a total, so a village with one fine church doesn’t outrank a historic city. The second measure is the share of homes built before 1919, from the Valuation Office Agency’s council tax records. History is a character grade: it describes the town and isn’t part of the overall grade.
Homes by age
29% of Lancaster’s homes were built before 1919
Every home by when it was built, from council tax records, against England & Wales (the dark tick).
24%
Before 1900
5.2%
1900–18
5%
1919–29
16%
1930s
6.6%
1945–54
4.8%
1955–64
4.4%
1965–72
5.7%
1973–82
6.6%
1983–92
4.5%
1993–99
6%
2000–08
3.5%
2009–15
8.2%
2016–25
LancasterEngland & Wales
24% of homes are Victorian or older, against 16% across England and Wales. The busiest period since was the 1930s, which added 16% of today’s homes.
Valuation Office Agency, council tax stock of properties by build period, 31 March 2025, for the neighbourhoods (LSOAs) that make up the town, split by where their residents live. Homes with no recorded build period (50 here) are left out; 1939–44 is not a period in the data.
Born here
41 notable people born in Lancaster before 1900
The 20 best known on one timeline, earliest first.
Robert Nutter
Thomas Edmondson
William Whewell
Henry D. Gilpin
Richard Owen
William Swainson
John Chippendall Montesquieu Bellew
William Turner
Letitia Higgin
John Jackson
John Ambrose Fleming
Emily Williamson
Herbert Page
Albert Charles Seward
Laurence Binyon
James Atherton
Isabella Preston
Joseph Hodkinson
Dorothy Cadman
Charles Austin Gardner
155016001650170017501800185019001950
Richard Owen1804–1892 · English biologist and paleontologist (1804–1892)
WW
William Whewell1794–1866 · English philosopher and historian of science (1794–1866)
John Ambrose Fleming1849–1945 · English electrical engineer and physicist (1849-1945)
Albert Charles Seward1863–1941 · British botanist (1863–1941)
Laurence Binyon1869–1943 · British poet, dramatist, and art scholar (1869-1943)
Henry D. Gilpin1801–1860 · United States Attorney General (1801-1860)
CG
Charles Austin Gardner1896–1970 · Botanist from Western Australia (1896-1970)
TE
Thomas Edmondson1792–1851 · British railway pioneer (1792–1851)
Everyone born in Lancaster → Birthplaces from Wikidata; portraits from Wikimedia Commons.
Towns its size
Lancaster has the 29th most Grade I buildings of 213 towns its size
Places of 32,000–84,000 people outside London, by Grade I listed buildings.
Lancaster4
#20 of 213for listed buildings per resident (61 per 10,000). Bury St Edmunds, Canterbury and Chichester lead.
28 have more. Lancaster is level with Hereford, Newbury and Farnborough. The typical town its size has 1.
Neighbours
Listed buildings in the places around Lancaster
In brief
Lancaster in brief
Old houses are part of Lancaster’s character: 29% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town. In all there are 323 listed buildings, 4 of them Grade I. For its size, it has more listed heritage than 79% of UK towns. Lancaster Castle sits at the heart of it all, with 3 of the town’s Grade I buildings within 400 m.
Only 28 of the 213 towns nearest its size have more Grade I buildings. On Castle Hill alone there are 14 listed buildings. Its older streets lie in 9 conservation areas, the first designated in 1983. The rest is about typical: it also has 3 scheduled monuments.
Questions about Lancaster’s history
How many listed buildings are there in Lancaster?
Historic England lists 323 buildings inside Lancaster’s built-up area: 4 Grade I, 23 Grade II* and 296 Grade II.
What are the Grade I listed buildings in Lancaster?
4, including Ashton Memorial, Lancaster Castle, Priory and Parish Church of St Mary and The Judges' Lodgings, Attached Forecourt, Steps, Gate Piers, Gates and Railings.
Which street in Lancaster has the most listed buildings?
Castle Hill (14), Church Street (14) and Market Street (13) have the most listed entries named by an address. One entry can be a whole terrace.
Are there scheduled monuments in Lancaster?
Yes, 3 scheduled monuments, including Glass melting and annealing workshop; part of Shrigley and Hunt's stained glass manufacturing workshops, Part of a Roman fort and its associated vicus and remains of a pre-Conquest monastery and a Benedictine priory on Castle Hill and Skerton Bridge.
How many conservation areas are there in Lancaster?
9, covering about 138 hectares of the town. The largest are Lancaster and Lancaster Moor.
When were Lancaster’s buildings listed?
The first in 1953; the most, 118, in 1995.
Are there old photos of Lancaster?
Yes: 4 public-domain photos and postcards from 1800 to 1903, all on this page.
Who was born in Lancaster?
Among people born before 1900: Richard Owen (1804), William Whewell (1794), John Ambrose Fleming (1849), Albert Charles Seward (1863) and Laurence Binyon (1869).
How old are the homes in Lancaster?
29% of homes were built before 1919 and 50% before 1940, from the Valuation Office Agency’s council tax records (March 2025).
© Historic England 2026. Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. The National Heritage List for England is the official, up-to-date register of all nationally protected historic buildings and sites in England; check an entry on Historic England’s website before relying on it.
Sources: Historic England, National Heritage List for England (listed buildings, scheduled monuments, registered parks and gardens, battlefields, World Heritage Sites), October 2026, inside the ONS 2022 built-up-area boundary · Valuation Office Agency, Council Tax: stock of properties by build period (31 March 2025) · TownRatings grades: our own summary of the data, ranked against UK towns only · Historic England conservation areas (supplied by local planning authorities; October 2026). All under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.