Williamson Park & Tropical Butterfly House

Northwest England

Lancaster's highest point is the 22-hectare spread of this gorgeous park, the highlights of which are (besides the views) the Tropical Butterfly House, full of exotic and stunning species, and the Ashton Memorial, a 67m-high baroque folly built by Lord Ashton (the son of the park's founder, James Williamson) for his wife. The memorial stands on what was once Lancaster Moor, the spot where until 1800 those sentenced to death at the castle were brought to meet the hangman.

Take the bus from the station, or else it's a steep, short walk up Moor Lane.

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