When people think of city breaks across the UK, places like York, Edinburgh and Bath often spring to mind. However, nestled between beautiful countryside and a rugged coastline, a small city in Lancashire may be the most underrated this country has to offer.

Lancaster, located inland from Morecambe Bay, has a rich history dating back to Roman times. A fort once stood on the site of Lancaster Castle which now dominates the skyline of the city. A number of key heritage buildings, including Dalton Square, the Old Town Hall and the Customer House on St George's Quay - which is now the Maritime Museum - were built from the triangular slave trade with Africa and the West Indies during Georgian times.

With a population of around 145,000 people, Lancaster has a highly-regarded university and array of succesful independent shops. When you walk around the city it feels relaxed.

"We're a little isolated city surrounded by green and the sea," Luiza Woods, the owner of Brew, tells the Express. "There’s such a welcoming feel to the town, which captures people and makes them want to stay."

Brew, a coffee shop with a brunch kitchen, is one of around 170 independent businesses in Lancaster. This figure, which includes hair and beauty salons, makes up 67% of all businesses in the city.

"There’s a thirst for independent businesses here," Mrs Woods, 31, explains. "I think it’s down to the people who live in Lancaster.

"People love the indie culture, which helps independents thrive. It’s a small city, so the locals like to know who’s in their city and who owns the shops.

"A lot of our customers and staff know each other by name. There’s a really friendly community, as the independents and locals are friends. You don’t get that with the bigger businesses."

Brew prides itself on using locally-sourced produce. Mrs Woods explains that she uses meat from a butcher's located just 200 metres away and vegetables from a supplier 500 metres away.

She says: "We’re on Brock Street here and there’s god knows how many independents. But we all talk to each other. We’re all looking out for each other and recommending each other to people that don’t know the area.

"There’s enough customers in Lancaster to go around all of the businesses. Everyone does it so well which means the independents stay. There’s not a huge turnaround of businesses here."

Further up Brock Street is Northern Dye House, a shop that specialises in hand-dyed T-shirts and clothing. It was opened during the Covid-19 lockdown and has gone from strength-to-strength since, taking pride in providing sustainable fashion to the people of Lancaster.

Rachel Hamilton-Southward, the owner of Northern Dye House, was born in Lancaster and believes the people are what make the city what it is. "It’s just such a welcoming and friendly place, we have a great community of people. Everyone integrates and the local independent business scene is very much like that," she explains.

"Everybody has each other’s backs. We’ve got committees where the owners meet and discuss things. If we ever have any problems then we support each other."

While independent shops thrive in Lancaster, Mrs Hamilton-Southward, 44, admits that some bigger chains have been negatively received by the local people. She says: "There’s a few big chain shops in Lancaster like any city. But you find when a new one opens, there’s a bit of grumbling from the locals.

"'Oh not another big chain, another big retailer.' When Primark opened there was a lot of grumbling. People want decent products at good prices."

Northern Dye House benefits from a number of loyal customers who help to keep the shopping scene alive in the city. "They want to keep the money in the city which is so important," Mrs Hamilton Southward adds.

As well as the range of shops, many tourists decide to visit Lancaster due to its rich history and architecture. The cobbled streets are lined with Georgian buildings bursting with character.

Lancaster Castle, a Grade 1 listed building, sits on a hilltop overlooking the city centre. It dates back around 1,000 years and has been described by English Heritage as "not only the North-West's most important historic and archaeological monument but also of international importance".

The castle has been restored in recent years and is now open to the public free of charge. Paid tours are also available, giving an insight into Lancaster's history of crime, punishment and law enforcement.

To the east of the city centre is Williamson Park which spans 54 acres of parkland and woodland. It offers stunning views across Morecamble Bay and the Lake District fells.

The park is also home to the Grade 1 listed Ashton Memorial. The memorial, which stands at an imposing 150 feet tall, was built by Lancaster industrialist Lord Ashton as a tribute to his late wife Jessy in 1909.

The first floor has an outdoor viewing gallery which gives visitors amazing panoramic views of Lancashire. It is also used as a wedding venue.

"People love visiting the shops but there are also great attractions like the castle," Deborah Hargreaves says. "People come from far and wide to visit Lancaster Castle as they love the history it has."

Mrs Hargreaves, 69, lives in Lancaster and works at Penny Street Collectables in the city centre. As well as local attractions, she says Lancaster benefits from being close to the Lake District.

"We’re popular for tourists as we’re not too far from the Lake District. So people often swing into Lancaster for a mooch around. A lot of them then decide to come back and spend their money. They love the variety here."

It's not just the older generation who support the independent shops in Lancaster. According to Mrs Hargreaves, university students and younger people play a big role in making sure the city continues to thrive.

She explains: "The students love it here as well which attracts people from all over the country. People think the younger generation just use the internet to buy things but that's not the case here. We get great support from them."

Echoing Mrs Hamilton-Southward's comments on bigger chain stores, Mrs Hargreaves adds: "The shop owners in Lancaster are just so friendly. You don’t get that in bigger stores, as you’re just a normal customer. You aren’t shown around and recommended products to buy."

One of the oldest businesses in Lancaster is Gregory Williams Butchers. Located on James Lane in the heart of the city, the butcher's has been running for over 80 years and is now in its fourth generation of the family.

It began at Lancaster Market before moving to the shop site. Ronda Ingleby, 52, has been working at the butcher's since she was 13 and acknowledges that the business has had to adapt to survive over the decades.

"We’ve had to move with the times a lot," she explains. "People nowadays want more convenient food, so we’ve got to offer products totally different to the supermarkets."

Unlike supermarkets, Gregory Williams Butchers offers customers the chance to place specific orders.

"We give the chance for people to get something specific, like maybe they’ve seen a chef on TV use it or they’ve had it at a restaurant," Mrs Ingleby says. "They can get a pack of mince or cheap fillets at the supermarket, but if they want a chateaubriand or something like that, then we can sort that.

"That really works in our favour. It’s the school holidays now, so we’re baking more sausage rolls. There are loads of kids about who love them."

She adds: "I think Lancaster offers a nice balance of independent retailers. That’s something that other towns are losing, I think.

"People will always come in to visit Primark or Marks and Spencer, but they’ll stay for us little ones. And we’ve got so many of them."

Renes Fashion, a women's clothing store, is another store that has been operating in Lancaster for decades. It was established in 1975 and has been selling from its current site on Common Garden Street for around 40 years.

Like Gregory Williams Butchers, the success of the store has come from years of hard work and countless changes. The owner of Renes Fasion, Tiffany Moore, says the store was first known for wedding dresses but now offers a wider range of clothing.

"We offer a really personal service so customers who have been coming for years know they’re going to come and find something perfect for them," she says. "They know we always tell the truth and give a great service.

"I don’t think you get that shopping online. I was talking to a customer earlier today about having to send back items bought online because they’re not right or they don’t fit.

"Whereas they come in here and they can try on outfits and see how they fit. They know instantly then that it’s perfect for them."

She agrees that the students from Lancaster University are a huge help. She explains: "The students help to keep the city vibrant as they come from all over the UK. They help the shops thrive.

"We’ve got so many great little shops which gives people from outside a reason to visit Lancaster. People can come in and have a shop, have a bite to eat or drink. We’ve got everything."