Lancaster City Council would like your help to identify where new heritage plaques should be located in one of the city’s most historic areas, as part of its High Streets Heritage Action Zone project – and a crowdfunding campaign has been launched by Lancaster Civic Society for three new plaques honouring famous Lancaster women.
The High Streets Heritage Action Zone scheme aims to improve the appearance and appreciation of historic buildings in the Mill Race area, a part of the city that was shaped by the watercourse that runs through it, first providing water and powering mills in the area, and later bringing opportunities for trade, manufacturing and employment, which led to the development of businesses and housing.
The Council is now working with Lancaster Civic Vision (the Civic Society) to identify historic buildings and streets in the area, which could be celebrated through a green heritage plaque.
The Civic Society is also running a crowdfunding campaign for three new Green Heritage Plaques for Women of Lancaster.
Mill Race Heritage Plaque Plans
The locations for new Heritage Plaques in the Mill Race area include Cunningham Jewellers, on 2-4 Damside Street; what’s now Greens pub at 63 North Road, which was originally a car show room, and some older residents may remember once hosted a wonderful toy shop in the 1980s; and Phoenix Street Drill Hall, which was designed in 1893 for the Lancaster Rifle Volunteers, who evolved into the King’s Own Royal Regiment in 1908.
Soldiers trained here before being sent to the Western Front during World War One. It was decommissioned in 1990.
The eventual aim is to install in the region of ten plaques, subject to discussion with individual property owners. After they’ve been installed, a trail and further information regarding each plaque will be made available to encourage people to visit and learn more about the area.
To view the potential locations of the plaques visit this page on the City Council website; and to get involved in the survey, visit keepconnected.lancaster.gov.uk/hazplaques.
Green Heritage Plaques for Women of Lancaster
Last year during Women’s History month, Lancaster Civic Vision and Lancaster City Museum launched a joint campaign to identify women of Lancaster that could, and should, be remembered by having a Green Heritage Plaque erected to their memory within the City of Lancaster.
Civic Vision already had a Green Heritage Plaque Tour of the city with some thirty three plaques in place but, Rachael Bowers from the Museum noted these were all to either men of the area, or particular buildings – and none were to women from the area.
The Society’s campaign identified some forty plus women who could be honoured with plaques, but that list has had to whittled down for several reasons, not least of them cost.
The first Green Heritage Plaque to a woman in Lancaster was officially unveiled to Sr. Aine Cox, founder of the Hospice Movement, at St John’s Hospice, last December. Other plaques which have met this criteria and are going through the process to be erected in the near future will honour Emily Williamson, founder of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds; Lady Noreen Murray, CBE, molecular geneticist; and Janet Raby and Beatrice Parkinson, the last women lighthouse keepers at Cockersands and Plover Lighthouses.
The Civic Society has a further three women who need to be remembered with a Green Heritage Plaque, and whilst they have sites for them to be placed, they need to raise approximately £2000 to cover the cost.
These are botanist and illustrator Mary Fielding (nee Simpson), who produced six volumes of detailed studies of plants native to Lancashire, painting the plants from nature, recording them and describing them in detail; Jennie Harris, who was Lancaster Ladies’ star football player in 1918, part of a side which defeated England’s most successful team, the Preston-based Dick, Kerr Ladies team; and suffragette, campaigner for women’s votes, Selina Martin, who, like many others was inhumanly treated in prison for her actions to secure women’s rights.
Selina joined the Women’s Social and Political Union in 1908 and during the years as a member was imprisoned on numerous occasions; unbowed, she was active in the movement throughout her life.
If you can help towards the cost of erecting a plaque to one, or all, of these women please donate via the Civic Society crowdfunding page at Green Heritage Plaques for Women of Lancaster
• To view the potential locations of the Mill Race plaques visit this page on the City Council website; and to get involved in the survey, visit keepconnected.lancaster.gov.uk/hazplaques
• Lancaster Commemorative Heritage Plaques Map
• Find out more about the High Streets Heritage Action Zone scheme