Port Stories – Bringing to life Lancaster’s Georgian boom and rich maritime heritage.

Audio Dramas

Port Stories Locational Audio Dramas from James Harker and May Sumwanyambe.

Documentary

Port Stories Documentary from film-maker Jonny Randall.

Education Pack

Key Stage 3 History Education Pack from Karen Merrifield at Innovate Educate with support from Central High School.

Community

Research and Creative Responses from the Port Stories Community Group.

Participating Artists

From November 2016 to March 2017, a group of 9 Community Artists worked alongside The Dukes to explore and respond to C18th Lancaster, the Port and its rich heritage. Lino-Cut Portraits by Rebecca Willmott.

Community Artist

Phil – Port Stories and Me: The Happy Accident

It has been one of those happy accidents that life sometimes deals you.

Community Artist

Paula – Port Stories and Me

Due to my half Caribbean background, and having lived in Ghana in West Africa for three years, during which, I visited a couple of the slave forts along its coastline, I had a personal interest in finding out more about Lancaster's involvement in slavery during the 18th century.

Community Artist

Zylpha – Handmade in Lancaster: the Text

Gillows of Lancaster, later known as Waring and Gillows, were furniture manufacturers. The firm started in the early 1700’s and finally closed in 1962 and for over 250 years they created furniture of outstanding quality, examples of which are still around today.

Emma – The Story of Ellen Preston

Dear Miss Townson,

I wish to inform you that I have succeed in gaining a position with one of the most respectable families in Lancaster.

Community Artist

Shane – The Big Game Hunter

I first got involved with Port Stories because of the flyer. On it is an 18th century painting of a view of Lancaster. On the right hand side of the painting is a huge hull of a ship.

Community Artist

Zylpha – Port Stories and Me

I saw the invitation to become involved with Port Stories on the Regional Heritage e-newsletter and it suggested that participants would be creatively exploring the history of Lancaster. As a volunteer at Lancashire Archives and a member of the U3A it seemed like an attractive proposition.

Community Artist

Emma – Port Stories and Me

As my contribution towards the Port Stories project, I researched a relatively unknown charitable educational institution, called the Lancaster Girls’ Charity School.

Bob – The Slave Rebellion (Audio Drama)

The Slave Rebellion. Written by Bob Ashworth, performed by Phil Chandler, directed by Alex Summers and produced by Karen Lauke at Naked Productions.

Paula – A Letter to James

Dear James

I have just been looking through a box of old photos and came across the one of you when you were about 5 years old. The one where you are sitting on an old canon outside Cape Coast Castle in Ghana. At the time you would not have known that this place is part of your heritage.

Paula – Cape Coast Castle & Far Beyond

Cape Coast Castle was originally built by the Portuguese in the 15th century as a trading lodge to trade mainly in gold, which was plentiful in this part of Ghana. In 1653, it was taken over by Sweden’s conquest of Cape Coast, and a more permanent wooden fortress was built by the Swedish Africa Company for trade in gold and timber. Over time the fortress passed through the hands of the Danes and the Dutch before being conquered by the British in 1664, by which time the building had been reconstructed in stone.