This year's programme of expertly guided walking tours around Lancaster's historic city centre will feature brand new topics as well as some favourites from last season.

• Tours take about 1.5 hours.
• Please dress for the weather and wear sturdy and comfortable footwear. Lancaster is hilly. Some routes will involve walking on cobbles. 
• Dogs on leads are welcome provided owners are mindful that other people may not be comfortable around them. A few tours include visits to buildings which may not allow dogs inside.

Tree Tales, with Eleanor Levin

Tuesday 6 October  -  11am  -  Start from City Museum

Step into Lancaster’s past on a unique walking tour where trees tell the story. Discover conservation battles, railway connections, and captivating tales from history, mythology, and botany — all rooted in these streets around you.

CLICK HERE TO BOOK.

Historical Women of Lancaster 2 - Lives in Writing, with Eleanor Levin

Saturday 17 October  -  11am  -  Start from City Museum

Focusing on women’s words and writing about women, including a nurse writing postcards home from WW1 France, an upcycling artist, a loom-breaking luddite, an anti-slavery campaigner, a child – much discussed but little understood, a nun, a duke, and a poet.

CLICK HERE TO BOOK.

Getting Your Head Down: Lodging Houses of Lancaster, with Naomi Parsons

Tuesday 20 October  -  11am  -  Start from Henry Street

Lancaster's lodging houses gained notoriety for their horrendous conditions and the infamous families that ran them. Circling the city centre, we visit the sites of common and corporation lodging houses for stories of prejudice, poverty and crime.

This tour starts from Henry Street, in the paved area outside the German Doner Kebab restaurant. View on Google Maps.

CLICK HERE TO BOOK. 

New for 2026! This year our guides will be presenting some of the same topics in the form of indoor talks at the museums, while our own museum staff and other local historians will be speaking on different aspects of local history. Take the weight off your feet and enjoy some expert insights from the comfort of our lecture rooms. 

• Talks take place at Lancaster City Museum or Lancaster Maritime Museum, as specified below.
• Talks last about 1 hour, plus 30 minutes of relaxed Q&A.
• Ticket price includes refreshments.

The Lancashire Riots of 1826, with Colin Penny

Saturday 26 September  -  11am  -  City Museum

In 1826, desperate weavers in East Lancashire destroyed over 1,100 power looms in just four days. This talk explores the riots, their causes, and the trials that followed.

FULLY BOOKED.   Email historydetectives@lancaster.gov.uk to join our mailing list for early updates on future talks.

What's in a Name? Place Names of North Lancashire, with Carolyn Dalton

Friday 2 October  -  11am  -  Maritime Museum City Museum

Carolyn Dalton shares her interest in the meanings of place names with you. Every local name has a story behind it and every time you use these names you make a connection to the history of the area around you.

This talk was previously advertised as taking place at the Maritime Museum. Please note the new location is the City Museum.

FULLY BOOKED.   Email historydetectives@lancaster.gov.uk to join our mailing list for early updates on future talks.

Literary Lancaster, with Penny Bradshaw

Saturday 14 November  -  11am  -  City Museum

'The stones of Lancaster do sometimes whisper' (Dickens). Explore writing inspired by this ancient city, featuring authors like William Wordsworth, Charles Dickens, and Carol Ann Duffy. Discover the dark, Gothic side of Lancaster’s literary heritage, shaped by its past as a site of execution and a slave port.

CLICK HERE TO BOOK.

Historical Women of Lancaster 3 - Changing Times, with Eleanor Levin

Tuesday 24 November  -  11am  -  City Museum

A botanical illustrator, a prison reformer, a murder suspect, a cotton spinner, and a music hall star! Each woman's story is a window onto the changing times in which she lived.

CLICK HERE TO BOOK.