More than 50 local schools sign up for tours about Lancaster's slave trade past

Tuesday, 25 April 2023 09:03

By Greg Lambert @greglam72

Schoolchildren from the Lancaster and Morecambe area have been learning about the city's links with the slave trade through a special tour.

Pupils and teachers are being led on tours around key locations associated with slavery, from St George’s Quay to Castle Park and Lancaster Priory before returning to the Millennium Bridge and Lancaster Maritime Museum.

Primary schools are working with the Facing the Past programme to reveal the history of the City of Lancaster’s strong involvement in the transatlantic slave trade and how the legacy of this continues to affect the current issues of racism and modern slavery.

At the Maritime Museum, they see first-hand the luxury goods, like sugar and mahogany, that were traded for slaves and contributed massively to the local economy.

Over six months, Eleanor Levin, Heritage Professional for Facing the Past, will be the tour guide for parties of Key Stage 2 children and their teachers.

Fifty-three schools in the Lancaster and Morecambe District have committed to being part of the project.

Head teacher John Ross of Great Wood School helped to develop this part of the Facing the Past programme, some 15 local teachers helped to put together the tour.

The tour encourages the children to learn through interaction and asking questions.

Maria Manton, from Morecambe Bay Community Primary School said: “I absolutely loved being part of the project.

"I’m passionate about local history and the tour connects you so much more to the place that you live. You look at it with new eyes and it allows you to reflect but not judge. Making visual links with the buildings, the memorials, the names and the pictorial elements bridges the gap between the past and the present.

"I heard one of the children on the way round saying 'It’s the best history trip I’ve ever been on'.