What you said as Lancaster park cafe is razed to the ground
Lancaster residents have called for a new café to be built at an historic city park, after an old eatery was pulled down following storm damage.
The old Pavilion Café and shop at Williamson Park, near the landmark Ashton Memorial, was demolished this week.
It follows permission being granted by the city council at a recent planning committee meeting.
Councillors were told the building was ‘structurally unsound’ and as a result was closed to members of the public in February 2025.
“The proposed scheme ensures that, following the demolition of the existing structurally unsafe structure, the space can continue to support park operations until a long-term plan is finalised, while preserving the park’s historical character,” a report to the meeting said.
Temporary cabins are expected to replace it, once the site is cleared and resurfaced.
Lancaster City Council, which owns the park and buildings, is working on longer term ideas.
After the councillors gave planning permission for the demolition, a bulldozer team quickly got to work.
The old café was transported to Lancaster from the 1984 Liverpool International Garden Festival, which aimed to regenerate Liverpool and boost tourism.
It survived more than 40 years of use.
Watching the demolition was Kamilla Elliott, from Lancaster, while walking her dog.
She said: “I loved the old café, the quality of the coffee and food. It had inside and outside areas, and was dog-friendly. I loved all of it.
“I’m not really interested in temporary stands or cabins. I’m sure the cabins will be OK but I want a place to sit inside and socialise in future.
"I hope, eventually, there will be a new, proper café with similar quality food. The old one had a kitchen but temporary cabins might not have the same facilities?
“I came to the café regularly. If the weather was good, I came twice a week. If not, once a week. I met my children, grandchildren and friends there many times. It was well used.”
Asked about the potential design of a new café in the future, she said: “It would be nice if a new building remained in keeping with the other buildings. I think historic and modern architecture can be combined, like the old Lancaster Moor Hospital. It has been redeveloped nicely, keeping its traditional exterior but with modern interiors.”
Jack Townson-Hughes and Marisha Norton, from Scotforth, were out with their dog too.
Jack said: “We come to the park almost every day. It’s full of beautiful architecture so I hope that’s considered with replacement buildings for the café.
“The old café was quite big with various decorations. If you look at the other buildings here, they have some lovely details. Modern buildings can sometimes be a bit soulless, so I hope whatever comes in future will be sensitive to the older buildings.”
Marisha said: “It’s a bit of a shame to see the café going. This is, after all, the main park for Lancaster. The old cafe had good food and service. It was never too packed.”
Blanche Palmer, from Lancaster, said: “The views from Williamson Park over Lancaster and Morecambe Bay are incredible. It would be nice for a new café to provide those views to visitors.
“The old café was a hub for me. To see it being demolished today, so quickly, is quite a sight. It’s a shame in some ways but it was an eyesore. The council had to do something. But I’d like a new café to offer similar things to the old one.
“The Ashton Memorial and the Butterfly House are beautiful. And the memorial is a popular for weddings. The old café was important for various types of visitors, residents, tourists of wedding-goers. I hope a new café, in the future, will have a likeness to the rest. Nothing too modern.”
Peter Wiltshire is chairman of Lancaster Civic Vision. Speaking outside the demolition site, he said: “When you see how quickly the old pavilion is being demolished, you realise how fragile it was. It’s sad to see it go.
“There is some quite strong feeling about the cafe’s long-term replacement. Temporary cabins are not the same as the old café. A number of people want a permanent indoor solution in future.”
He said Lancaster City Council, like other councils, faced challenges including funding from recent governments "not being as good as it should be”.
He added: “We have some sympathy with councils and try to work constructively with Lancaster City Council. We’ll be watching this project with care and make our views known. I hope fundraising can be prioritised to get a permanent indoor offering.”
He added; “People use Williamson Park a lot, even in deep winter. I’ve been to weddings at the Ashton Memorial and sat in the old café beforehand. So the café supported functions, although it wasn’t directly involved.”
The 1984 Liverpool International Garden Festival was designed to revive derelict land and promote Liverpool’s regeneration and tourism. It was championed by the then Conservative government minister Michael Heseltine, nicknamed the ‘Minister for Merseyside’.
In Lancaster this week, Peter added: “During the 1980s, great swathes of the UK were de-industrialised and there were other garden festivals held across the UK. They were interesting times.
“Today, we need to create some positive energy. In this district, we’ve got government-backed regeneration schemes including for Morecambe’s West End, which has huge potential. So these are interesting times too.”