10 Saint Mary's Parade, Sefton, Other
Since 1164 Lancaster Castle has been under royal control. Today it is owned by the Duchy of Lancaster (the Queen) and includes a Crown Court.
From the mid 17th Century until 2011 the castle was a prison so it is no surprise that it has had a number of interesting associations. Two of them are with New Zealand.
William Wakefield who negotiated the purchase of Wellington from local Maori was a brother of Edward Gibbon Wakefield. He became the de facto leader of Wellington's settlement until he died in 1848. Before coming to New Zealand he had spent three years in the prison at Lancaster Castle for aiding his brother in the abduction of heiress Ellen Turner.
Terrance John Clark was the head of the Mr Asia syndicate which imported heroin into a number of countries. His trial here in for the contract murder of Marty Johnstoneconducted under heavy security was Britain's most expensive case at that time. Clark died in prison in 1983 after receiving a life sentence for the contract murder. The extraordinary events involving the Mr Asia syndicate have been the inspiration for two televison series:Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities and and Underbelly NZ:Land Of The Long Green Cloud.
Since Lancaster Castle ceased being a prison it has been developed as a tourist attraction and there is a lot to see. In addition to the prisons, tours include the splendid Gothic interior of the Shire Hall as well as the Crown Court, both of which date from the end of the eighteenth century.
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