LIFE on the fringes of Morecambe Bay thousands of years ago and a vital Victorian railway link between Furness and the rest of the country are among topics to feature in a new talks series.

The winter programme of the Lancaster Archaeological and Historical Society starts with a look at a disaster a century ago at a wartime munitions factory built by Vickers of Barrow.

Tim Churchill, a member of the Lancaster group, is the speaker on September 28 on The White Lund explosion of 1917.

The White Lund shell-filling factory was built near the Lune, between Morecambe and Lancaster, and was visited by King George V.

Members and visitors will meet at 7.30pm for a 7.45pm start at the regular venue ofSt Paul’s Hala Centre, Hala Square, Scotforth, Lancaster – near the Boot and Shoe.

On October 26 Dr Bill Shannon presents an unusual talk called Exploding Peat, which looks at some historic bog bursts at Pilling in 1745; Solway in 1772 and Chat Moss in 1526.

November 30 see the visit of Jamie Quartermaine, from Oxford Archaeology North.

His talk on Long Houses in the Duddon Valley looks at his work with teams of volunteers on the intriguing remains of centuries-old buildings.

January 25 see Dr Andrew White describe with building and early use of Lancaster’s first railway, from 1840 to 1846.

Furness rail travellers take Lancaster for granted as an important transport hub but it almost missed out on the frenzy of speculative building which created the key south to north route in the mid 19th century.

Today the trip from Preston to Lancaster on the West Coast Main Line takes about 15 minutes for a Virgin train - but in 1840 there was two hours allowed for the driver to complete the 21 miles.

By 1835 surveying started on a route to Scotland which might have missed outLancaster altogether.

In April 1836 a meeting in Lancaster Town Hall set out to raise the £450,000 needed for a new route to Preston with Joseph Locke as engineer and surveyor.

It gained an Act of Parliament the following year and an army of labourers, masons and carpenters was assembled to create the cuttings, embankments, bridges and viaducts.

The Lancaster end of the new line was at Penny Street station, later a nursing home with much of the original building.

It opened in June 1840. First class travel to Preston was five shillings (25p) and second class was three shillings (15p).

For a halfcrown (12p) you could go third class - in carriages open to the weather and with no seats.

Helen Evans, from Oxford Archaeology North, is the speaker on February 22 with the topic The Neolithic of Morecambe Bay: new sites and emerging themes.

On March 22 Colin Penny, of Lancaster Castle, will explore Convict Transportation toAustralia.

There is an annual meeting on April 26 followed by Peter Iles, of Lancashire County Archaeological Advisory Service, on the topic Archaeology and Bailrigg Garden Village: some potential sites and issues.