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A new tour of Lancaster about significant women in the city’s past has proved so popular, it’s sold out and new dates have been added.

The Historical Women of Lancaster Tours begin on March 6 to mark International Women’s Day but after places on the first three walks quickly sold out, more have been scheduled.

The tours will tell the stories of about 15 Lancaster women, from a footballer to a sculptor and a suffragette to a mayor.

Tour leader will be Eleanor Levin who has previously led tours about Lancaster’s involvement in the Transatlantic slave trade for the Facing the Past project.

Eleanor Levin will lead the new Historical Women of Lancaster Tour.

These featured the story of two very different women living under the same roof in the 1700s – Polly Rawlins/Satterthwaite, the daughter of a sugar plantation owner and wife of a

West India merchant, and her black ‘servant’, Frances Elizabeth Johnson who was probably enslaved.

The tours also follow the installation of the first green plaques to notable local women organised by Lancaster Civic Vision.

“Given that women are at any time at least half of the population, it’s not really surprising that there are so many interesting, fascinating, noteworthy, terrible, and important women

Lancaster MP, Cat Smith at the unveiling of a plaque to footballer, Jennie Harris at Giant Axe where the new tours begin

who were either born here, lived here, worked here or contributed to the area in some way and yet their stories are not well known, “ Eleanor said.

Some of the women featured in the tour were famous in their own lifetime but others never received recognition.

The tour begins at the Giant Axe football ground where a green plaque remembers Jennie Harris, former Dick Kerr Ladies and Lancaster Ladies player.

Another woman potentially in line for a green plaque is Selina Martin, a Lancaster suffragette who was arrested and imprisoned for her activism.

The headless and footless statue lying on the tomb outside Priory Church, Lancaster. You can learn all about this lady on a new tour in Lancaster. Photo Neil Cross.

Others featured on the tour include Jennie Delahunt, the artist and sculptor whose most famous work is the Grade 2 listed war memorial in Westfield War Memorial Village, and the

mysterious headless lady in the Priory churchyard.

“The first three tour dates sold out very quickly, showing a real appetite for, and interest in, women’s history,” said Eleanor.

Places are now available on the April 24, May 16, June 7 and July 6 tours.

All begin at 11am and are wheelchair accessible.

To book places priced £8 visit https://www.trybooking.com/uk/events/landing/50324?

Learn about mysterious headless lady in Lancaster churchyard on new tour of city telling stories of 15 women