Royal Lancashire

With the arrival of the new Princess (Congratulations William & Kate!) we’re feeling particularly patriotic in Lancashire. If you're also feeling royally inspired check out our list of suitably regal things to do in Lancashire.

Top of the list is Lancaster Castle which is still owned by the Queen (or the Duke of Lancaster as she’s known to Lancastrians) and is her only castle in the north of England. The Shire Hall, within the Castle has the country’s largest display of coat of arms shields bearing the arms of every English monarch from Richard the Loinheart onwards.

During the Medieval period The Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty was established as a Royal hunting Forest – with the title ‘forest’ referring to hunting rights, not ‘trees’ as most people think. Thankfully this beautiful landscape is no longer just restricted to royalty; choose from a variety of walking and cycling routes to explore the area or head straight to the Inn at Whitewell a favourite with visiting royalty and part of the Queen’s Duchy of Lancaster estate.

Browsholme Hall near Clitheroe (within the Forest of Bowland) has been the ancestral home of the royal ‘Bowbearers’ of the Forest of Bowland since the restoration. The family still live in the hall to this day and you may very well bump into one of them during a tour.

The Queen suggested in her biography by Sarah Bradford that she would consider retiring to Lancashire’s Ribble Valley. What better recommendation could you want?

 
Hoghton Tower near Preston is famed both for its ¾ mile driveway and for being the place where James I knighted the Sir loin cut of beef when he visited in 1617. The extravagance of his visited ended up bankrupting the owner of the tower at the time!

King George V’s coach is on display on the British Commercial Vehicle Museum in Leyland, along with the Popemobile used to transport Pope John-Paul when he visited the UK in 1982.

There are around 30 walks across the stunning Morecambe Bay scheduled for 2015. Most cross the sands between Arnside and Kent’s Bank and are led by Cedric Robinson MBE, the Queen's Official Guide to the Sands. In 1963 Cedric was appointed the 25th guide and for 52 years has escorted thousands of charity fundraisers safely across the dangerous sands of the bay.

Queen Street Mill Textile Museum was featured in the multi-Oscar winning film, The Kings Speech, staring Colin Firth as King George VI and Helena Bonham-Carter as the Queen Mother.

Finally, tuck into a tub of Baxters Morecambe Bay Shrimps, perfect with brown bread, butter and a squeeze of lemon. These shrimps were a favourite of the Queen mother and have had the Royal Seal of approval since the 1970s.

 

Looking for more things to do this month? See our Lancashire whats on guide.