Living in Lancaster

Lancaster is a historic city offering excellent restaurants, shopping, arts and culture amid stunning Georgian architecture and panoramic coastal views across Morecambe Bay, with the breathtaking scenery of the Lake District only half an hour away.

Lancaster itself is situated in the picturesque rural landscape of northwest England. A magnificent twelfth century castle overlooks the city, and in the lush green space and woodland of Williamson Park the iconic Ashton Memorial gives superb views of the Lakeland fells across the sweeping Morecambe Bay coastline. Lancaster’s river, the Lune, runs along the edge of the neighbouring Forest of Bowland, an area of outstanding natural beauty, and meanders past many villages before flowing through the city and finding its way to the sea.

The University is easily accessible and less than three miles from both the city centre and the M6 motorway. The city has excellent National Rail services, with frequent direct trains to London taking only two and a half hours, or an hour to Manchester and Liverpool.

One of the top ten most vibrant cities in the UK (the Experian Vibrancy Report), Lancaster is brimming with arts and culture. The city’s arts venues often play host to major theatre and comedy tours, as well as independent productions, and film fans have the choice of an independent cinema, a multiplex, and even a cinema on the University campus. With a number of galleries and museums located in the city, there’s plenty for lovers of the arts to get their teeth into.

There is an abundance of both traditional pubs and wine bars within Lancaster, situated along the banks of the canal, through the streets and even underneath the city in the castle’s former wine cellars.Live music venues all over the city are home to guitar, electronic, folk, classical and jazz gigs.

The University’s ‘travel to' area stretches past Lancaster and Morecambe from the Lake District to Preston and east along the Lune valley, offering a range of housing from city centre to rural environments. Housing is varied (from old townhouses to barn conversions and new build) and competitively priced, particularly against similar properties in South East England.

We offer relocation allowances for staff (grade six and above) who have to move to join us, and have engaged the services of a relocation partner (Sterling Lexicon) to assist with international relocations.