| Graham’s Guidelines | * Rating (1 to 5) |
|---|---|
| Coffee | 5* |
| Food | 4* |
| Conversation | 5* |
| People Watching | 4* |
Atkinsons is a highly regarded, award winning, coffee roaster in Lancaster, also known as coffeehopper on social media due to their logo. They operate three cafes within quite a small area of the city. On this occasion we are visiting Atkinsons at Lancaster Castle, we’ll cover The Hall and The Music Room another time. There shop, near to The Hall, is itself a wonder to behold.
Each of the Atkinsons cafes in Lancaster serves the same great coffee, but has a different feel. Atkinsons The Castle is, as the name suggests, within the grounds of Lancaster Castle which has stood on these ground for nearly 1,000 years dating back to the Normans and probably before. Prior to its most recent refurbishment the castle was, until 2011, a prison. One quirk of this history is that Lancaster Castle is still owned by the Duchy of Lancaster and hence by the Sovereign (the King).
As you enter the castle square through the imposing keep you can feel the history everywhere. The Castle Cafe is in an opposing corner to the castle keep to the right. The cafe sits in what was a portion of the castle kitchen and a newly covered area with glass doors opening out into the square. The seating is within the new area with additional seating outside in the square. If the weather is good you should expect to loiter for a while to get an outside seat. The whole place looks particularly atmospheric on a dark winter’s day.
On this occasion we are making a quick visit for coffee and cake. We are rewarding ourselves having just been to give blood at the local hospital.
This isn’t a place to visit for a huge lunch, or even brunch, the food menu is limited to cakes, pastries and sandwiches, which are always excellent.
Today we are sticking to the house Americano based on their Archetype blend, but this wouldn’t be Atkinsons if there weren’t choices for the coffee connoisseur and here at the castle they are offered as speciality pour-over brews. The menu of pour-over changing on regular basis depending on what is in season.
They also do speciality teas at the castle, but I’ve never tried one so couldn’t comment. If I’m coming to the castle I’m here for the coffee.
Each of the Atkinsons cafes attracts an eclectic mix of people making for excellent people watching – the flirty couple on the high table, the family outside over-reacting to a solitary wasp, the two ladies in dry-robes on a glorious warm and dry day in the middle of a city, the arty student in the corner typing away on his MacBook wearing expensive beige coloured over-the-ear headphones, the older gentleman sat outside in his summer hat.
You do have to be able to walk up a short steep hill on cables to get to the castle whichever way you come.
We normally park just down the hill from the entrance on Castle Hill, accessed via Market Street, where there are a few roadside pay-and-display/RingGo spaces.
Atkinsons The Castle
Castle Hill,
Lancaster
LA1 1YN
https://www.thecoffeehopper.com/locations/lancaster-castle/
https://maps.app.goo.gl/soF71NU7pD6Vfc7T9
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