Custom House, Lancaster facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Custom House |
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The front of the Custom House
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| Alternative names | Maritime Museum |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | Palladian |
| Address | St George's Quay, Lancaster |
| Coordinates | 54°03′13″N 2°48′19″W / 54.0537°N 2.8053°W |
| Renovated | 1983–84 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Richard Gillow |
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Listed Building – Grade II*
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| Official name: Maritime Museum | |
| Designated: | 22 December 1953 |
| Reference #: | 1289088 |
The Custom House is a special building in Lancaster, England. It is located right by the water on St Georges Quay. This building was designed in 1764 by an architect named Richard Gillow. He was part of the famous Gillow family, known for making furniture.
A "Custom House" was a place where government officials collected taxes on goods coming into or leaving a port. This helped control trade and raise money. The Custom House in Lancaster was used for this purpose until 1882. After that, the customs work moved to another town called Barrow-in-Furness.
Lancaster Maritime Museum
Since 1985, the Custom House has been home to the Lancaster Maritime Museum. This museum teaches visitors all about the history of the sea and ships in the Lancaster area. Right next to the Custom House, there's another old building called a bonded warehouse. This warehouse is also part of the museum.
The museum has many interesting things to see. You can learn about:
- Local fishing boats and how people used to fish.
- Cool models of ships from different times.
- Stories about merchants and how they traded goods. This includes the history of important goods and trade routes, and how people and goods were moved across the seas.
- The Lancaster Canal, which was an important waterway.
- How the fishing industry grew in the area.
- The development of local ports like Glasson, Heysham, Sunderland Point, and Morecambe.
- The history of the people and nature around Morecambe Bay.
See also
- Grade II* listed buildings in Lancashire
- Listed buildings in Lancaster, Lancashire
- Sandside, Beetham
