Cumbria, North West, United Kingdom

Kendal – The Five Minute Spare Guide

Kendal – The Five Minute Spare Guide
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Kendal is a historic Cumbria market town at the southern end of the Lake District which is probably best known Worldwide for its Mint Cake. However, it has loads to offer even for those without a sweet tooth. Being Cumbria’s third-largest population centre you can be sure there is plenty to do in the town, however, it’s the surrounding countryside and local history which really sets it apart as a staycation destination.

 

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Where Is Kendal

Kendal is a market town and tourist centre within the South Lakeland District of Cumbria, northwest England. Historically in the now-defunct county of Westmorland, it is situated about 8 miles (13 km) south-east of Windermere, 19 miles (31 km) and 23 miles (37 km) north-east of Barrow-in-Furness. The town lies in the valley of the River Kent from where it derives its name.   In the 2011 Census, the town was found to have a total population of 28,586, making it the third-largest settlement in Cumbria behind Carlisle and Barrow. Kendal has a long history so let’s have a brief look at that next.

Kendal – A Fleeting History

The first known settlement in the Kendal area is thought to date back to as early as the Iron Age. The Romans arrived next, building a fort (Alavana) at the site of the Iron Age settlement, about 2 miles south of the present-day town centre at Watercrook on the banks of the River Kent.  It was originally built as a timber structure in about AD 90 but later rebuilt in stone during the reign of Hadrian. It is thought the fort was occupied by the Romans until around AD 270.

The Domesday Book

In the Domesday Book, Kendal is listed as Cherchebi and cited as being a part of Yorkshire. It later became Kirkbie Kendal, meaning “village with a church in the valley of the River Kent”. A market charter was granted to Kendal by King Richard I, in 1189. By this time Kendal already had a history as a fortress town. Kendal Castle was built in the late 12th century at a site where several other forts had previously stood.

It became the seat from which the Barony of Kendal governed Westmorland. During the reign of Edward III of England, the Parr family inherited the castle through marriage. One of their famed descendants, Catherine Parr, became the sixth wife of Henry VIII.

It was in the 14th century that the wool industry in Kendal became firmly established. The town’s position at the geographical centre of the Westmorland, together with a growing involvement from resident monks, helped to grow the local wool production.  As the industry grew, so did the town’s population and prosperity. The town’s wool business lasted some 400 years when during the Industrial Revolution in the late 18th century, the trade began to shift to the mills of Yorkshire and Lancashire.

The Roads Improve

During the late 17th and early 18th century, a number of Quaker and Methodist families became established in the town bringing their influence to local affairs.  In 1703, the town’s Surveyor of Highways received an Order from the Barony of Kendall to make the roads sufficiently good for the passage of coaches, carts and carriages. In 1753, the Keighley and Kendal Turnpike began to operate a stagecoach between Yorkshire and the town.

In the late 18th century, a returning Kendal son, Thomas Harrison, set up a snuff production company in the town. The tobacco industry became important to the local economy as other players set up in the town. Both Samuel Gawith & Company and Gawith Hoggarth TT  continue their businesses today in Kendal, producing snuffs and tobacco products still used around the world

Kendal’s connectivity to the rest of Britain greatly increased during the 19th century. In 1819, the newly constructed Lancaster Canal reached the town, and in 1847, Kendal became connect to Britain’s growing rail network, when the Oxenholme to Windermere branch line opened.  These events helped to gain the town a significant industrial base during the period. The production of textiles, iron, engineering equipment and shoes, amongst others, all became major industries within the town.

Kendal Mint Cake

In the late 19th and early 20th century, Kendal became renowned for a particular confectionary; Kendal Mint Cake. First produced in 1869 by one of the town’s confectioners Joseph Wiper, the product gained a worldwide reputation as an energy food, when it became a staple for both polar explorers and mountaineers. Over the years, a number of companies in the town made their own brand of the cake but today there are only three producers. However, the original producer Wiper’s are no longer in business.

The town’s population grew from around 8,000 in 1801 to 14,183 by 1901, and by 1951, the population had reached 18,541. Between 1888 and 1974, Kendal served as the administrative centre for the county of Westmorland, although Appleby was the county town.

The Modern Era

Kendal’s manufacturing industries all but vanished after the demise of the canal in the 1940s.  Two of the town’s previously major industries; textile and shoemaking, were major casualties, although the K Shoes Company, did remain an employer in the town until its closure in 2003.

The service industry and local government have provided employment in the town for many years, as Kendal is home to Provincial Insurance Company, South Lakeland District Council, Lake District National Park Authority and several departments of Cumbria County Council. Light industry and agriculture also play a significant employment role. However, promoted by the town’s strategic position on the very edge of the Lake District, the major growth industry, which primarily began in the second half of the 20th century, has been tourism.

The town’s population has grown very steadily during the modern era, rising from 18,541 in 1951 to 27,505 in 2001. However, like many towns set in similar rural environments across the country, the average age of Kendal’s residents today is somewhat above the national average. However, Kendal does offer a well above average retail experience for the size of the town. It has five major shopping malls; K Village, the Westmorland Shopping Centre, the Blackhall Yard Shopping arcade, the Elephant Yard and Wainwright’s Yard, which are all interconnected by the recent pedestrianisation of the town centre.

Getting there!

The easiest way to get to Kendal by road is to take the M6 motorway, turning off at Junction 37 and following the A684 road westwards for about 8 miles. It is signposted off the M6 at Junctions 36 (A65, A590) Junction 38 (A685 road) and Junction 39 (A6). The town is bypassed to the west by the A591 road, linking to Windermere, Keswick and the A590 for Barrow. The A65, which terminates at Kendal, leads to Kirkby Lonsdale, Skipton and the rest of Yorkshire.

Taking the train to Kendal is relatively easy. It is connected to the mainline railway network by the Oxenholme to Windermere branch line. Oxenholme is only 2 miles from Kendal and is situated on the West Coast Main Line, which operates between London and Glasgow/Edinburgh.

Kendal has a daily coach link with London. Local buses from the bus station go to destinations such as Ambleside, Barrow-in-Furness and Lancaster.

 

Things to do in Kendal!

Brewery Arts Centre

Brewery Arts Centre is a multi-purpose arts complex presenting a year-round programme of theatre, music, films, lectures and exhibitions.

Serpentine Woods

Serpentine Woods overlooks the town and castle. The woods are home to a wide variety of domestic wildlife. The pathways through the woods total around 3 miles in all. There’s also a nature trail that features outdoor exhibitions on different aspects of the local flora and fauna.

Places to see!

Kendal Castle

Kendal Castle

Image: Philip Birtwistle/Shutterstock.com

Kendal Castle is situated on a mound-like hill, known as a drumlin, to the east of the town. The castle has been a ruin since Tudor times but some of the imposing stonework remains largely intact. The site is freely accessible to the public. It is managed by the South Lakeland District Council.

Museum of Natural History and Archaeology

The Museum of Natural History and Archaeology is one of the UK’s oldest museums, housing both outstanding local and international displays of natural history and archaeology.

The Quaker Tapestry

The Quaker Tapestry, housed in the Kendal Quaker Meeting House, is an embroidery of community art, the creation of more than 4000 people in 15 countries. It beautifully illustrates 300 years of social history.

Abbot Hall Art Gallery

Winner of the Art Gallery of the Year Cumbria Life Culture Awards 2017, Abbot Hall Art Gallery is a Grade 1 listed building with a national reputation for showing contemporary and historical works. It’s conveniently located in the town centre. On permanent display in the period, Georgian rooms is a selection of works by Cumbrian born artist George Romney (1734-1802), one of the greatest of all eighteenth-century portrait painters. There are also plenty of works by other well-known artists.

Levens Hall

Levens hall Near Kendal

Image: Gardens by Design/Shutterstock.com

Levens Hall is a stunning family home with exceptional Elizabethan interiors. Also on display are artefacts linking the Hall to the Duke of Wellington. It has the world’s largest and oldest topiary gardens. Levens Hall lies about 6 miles south of Kendal, just off the A6. It opens most days between April and December.

Where to stay?

There is a wide range of accommodation options to suit all budgets in and around Kendal. A rough guide to expected prices for a double room (unless stated otherwise) are as follows:

Hostel: £40

Standard Hotel/Guesthouse/B & B: £50 – £ 80

3 & 4 Star Hotel: £80 – £130

Holiday Home: £80 – £130 per person per night for maximum occupancy

The Kendal Quiz

 


 

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