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Have you ever wandered around Williamson Park and wondered how it came into being, why that huge, domed building which overlooks the city was built and what purpose did the Butterfly House serve in its early days?

On the last weekend of the Heritage Open Days (September 17 and 18) there is a chance to discover those things and much more about the park.

Two books have recently been published on the park's history, and book signings by both authors will take place in the Ashton Memorial in the centre of the park this coming weekend between 10am and 3pm, hosted by the Friends group.

Alongside this event there will be a sale of good quality, second-hand books to raise funds for the Friends' future projects in the park.

'Williamson Park: a brief illustrated history' by Richard Danks on behalf of the Friends is a fascinating compilation of old postcards, maps, photographs and press cuttings spanning the years before the park's development to the present day.

'The people's park: A History of Williamson Park Lancaster' by Suzanne Bradshaw looks, as its title suggests, at the formation of the park by delving into the lives of the people involved in its evolution into the park we know today.

The Friends of Williamson Park is an active voluntary group which works alongside management and staff to improve the park for people and wildlife.

There are two practical groups each week which look after the Friends Garden and the Winter Garden, and carry out conservation projects in Fenham Carr.

Williamson Park in Lancaster to host book signings and sale of second-hand books as part of Heritage Open Days