Lancaster Castle: the View from the Stronghold

The Duchy of Lancaster has entered into a partnership with Lancaster University’s History Department to deliver a free open learning course based on the history of the region as seen through the prism of Lancaster Castle. Available to online learners across the world, the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) is the first of its kind to be launched by the Department and is expected to attract up to 10,000 students.

The title of this innovative new course is ‘Lancaster Castle and Northern English History: the View from the Stronghold’. It explores the broader trends in regional history across two millennia, from the Romans to the 21^st century, through the legacy of historic buildings and artefacts on site at the Castle.

The MOOC will be run by the Regional Heritage Centre (RHC) based in the History Department, with the assistance of a team of MOOC specialists from Lancaster University’s Information Systems Services. The aim of the course is to provide participants with a better understanding of the significance played by the Castle in key events, the ability to relate famous events and individuals to deeper social and political developments across the region and provide an overview of a broad sweep of the nation’s history.

Commenting on the initiative, Debbie Garritty Head of Communications for the Duchy said: “Lancaster Castle is a historic building of major international importance and interest. We are very pleased that the University is making its rich and complex history available to a wider audience and will be following the MOOC with interest in the months ahead.”

Director of the RHC Dr Fiona Edmonds added: “Lancaster Castle is an outstanding historical site, not only because it is so visually impressive, but also because its history is multi-layered. This course enables us to showcase the fascinating past of north-west England for a global audience”.

The online course, which is open to learners of all ages and abilities, starts on Monday 29^th October and registration is now open. To register please visit: www.futurelearn.com/courses/lancaster-castle/.