The castle is an ancient scheduled monument and Grade 1 listed building. It forms part of an ancient inheritance known as the Duchy of Lancaster, which began in 1265.
The castle is steeped in history and tales of incarceration. It has been a prisoner-of-war camp and a police training academy. The Lancashire Witches were imprisoned and tried at the castle in 1612.
Around 1850 it became one of the largest debtors’ prisons outside London and it was used as a Category C prison until 2011 and still has an operational court.
Visitors can tour the castle seven days a week and hear all about its amazing history – find out more here





4. Steeped in history
A section of one of the castle towers dating back to the 13th century Photo: JP