Kendal
Encyclopedia
Kendal, anciently known as Kirkby in Kendal or Kirkby Kendal, is a market town
and civil parish within the South Lakeland District
of Cumbria
, England
. It is 40 miles (64 km) south of Carlisle, on the River Kent
, and has a total resident population of 27,505, making it the third largest settlement in Cumbria, behind Carlisle and Barrow in Furness.
Historically
a part of Westmorland
, Kendal today is known largely as a centre for tourism
, as the home of Kendal mint cake
, and as a producer of pipe tobacco
and tobacco snuff
. Its buildings, mostly constructed with the local grey limestone
, have earned it the nickname the Auld Grey Town.
as part of Yorkshire
with the name Cherchbi. For many centuries it was called Kirkbie Kendal, meaning "village with a church in the valley of the River Kent". The earliest castle was a Norman motte and bailey (now located on the west side of the town) when the settlement went under the name of Kirkbie Strickland
A chartered market town
, the centre of Kendal is structured around a high street with fortified alleyways, known locally as yards, off to either side which allowed the local population to seek shelter from the Anglo-Scottish raiding parties known as the Border Reivers
. The main industry in these times was the manufacture of wool
len goods, the importance of which is reflected in the town's coat of arms
and in its Latin motto "Pannus mihi panis", meaning wool (literally 'cloth') is my bread. "Kendal Green" was hard-wearing wool-based fabric specific to the local manufacturing process, and was supposedly sported by the Kendalian archers who were instrumental in the English victory over the French at the Battle of Agincourt
. Kendal Green was also worn by slaves in the Americas, and is mentioned in songs and literature from that time.
The site of several (ruined
) castles, the most recent one constructed in the late-12th century, Kendal Castle
, has a long history as a stronghold of one kind or another. The castle is best known for being the home of the Parr family. The Parr's inherited the castle through marriage during the reign of Edward III of England
. Rumours still circulate that King Henry VIII
's sixth wife Catherine Parr
was born at Kendal Castle, but based on the evidence available this is very unlikely. By the time Catherine was born the castle was beyond disrepair and her father was already based in Blackfriars, London, as a member of the court of King Henry VIII
.
-based type of confectionery reputedly discovered accidentally by Joseph Wiper during his search for a clear glacier mint.
Used on numerous expeditions to mountaintops (including Mount Everest
and K2
) and both poles of the Earth, its popularity is mainly due to the very astute decision of the original manufacturer's great nephew to market it as an energy food, and to supply Ernest Shackleton
's 1914-17 Transarctic Expedition
.
By the time the business was sold to competitor Romney's in 1987 there were several rival mint cake producers, many of which are still in business.
production in Kendal dates from 1792, when Kendalian Thomas Harrison returned from Glasgow, Scotland, where he had learned the art of snuff manufacture. He also brought with him 50 tons of second-hand equipment, all carried on horse back. Pipe tobacco and other tobacco
products were subsequently added to the firm's production. Ownership of his firm passed eventually to his son-in-law, Samuel Gawith, whose eponymic firm, Samuel Gawith & Co., continues in business to this day. Following Samuel Gawith's death in 1865, the firm passed into the hands of his two eldest sons. During this time the business was administered initially by trustees, including Henry Hoggarth, and John Thomas Illingworth.
Illingworth left the firm in 1867 to start his own firm, which remained in business until the 1980s. The youngest son of Samuel Gawith the First subsequently teamed with Henry Hoggarth to form Gawith Hoggarth TT, Ltd. Both Samuel Gawith & Company and Gawith Hoggarth TT continue in business today in Kendal, producing snuffs and tobacco products still used around the world. Samuel Gawith and Company also hold the distinction of employing the oldest piece of industrial equipment still in production use in the world, a device manufactured in the 1750s.
of Kendal was created in 1835 and until 1894 the town was also an urban sanitary district
. The borough boundaries were altered in 1935 by gaining a small part of South Westmorland Rural District
under a County Review Order
.
The civil parishes of Kirkland and Nether Graveship were abolished in 1908 and became part of Kendal Civil Parish whose boundaries were after that the same as the borough.
Kendal was, from 1888 to 1974, the administrative centre of the administrative county
of Westmorland
although Appleby
is the traditional county town
.
The borough of Kendal was abolished in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972
to become a part of South Lakeland
district of Cumbria
. The town was a successor parish
, and thus kept its own town council
.
is the current MP representing the Liberal Democrats
.
, surrounded by low hills. It is near (but not in) the Lake District National Park. When the National Park was formed in 1951 the boundary was deliberately shaped to exclude Kendal. Although a relatively small town, it is an important commercial centre for a wide area thanks to its rural
location. It is affectionately referred to as "The Gateway to The Lakes".
and shoe
s; the K Shoes company remained a major employer in the town until its factory closed in 2003. http://www.cumbria-industries.org.uk/kshoes.htm There are still a number of industries based in the town, such as Gilbert Gilkes & Gordon (manufacturers of pumps and turbines), James Cropper paper makers,based in Burneside, just NW of Kendal, Mardix (switchgear) and Heinz, who have a facility making baby milk in the north of the town. Though tourism is now one of the main employers, there is a significant IT and design sector in the town (this being non-geographic dependent) the increase of broadband availability has significantly increased this.
On February 26, 2003, Kendal was granted Fairtrade Town
status.
Kendal railway station
is situated on the Windermere Branch Line
and gives connections to Windermere railway station
to the north, and Oxenholme Lake District railway station
(on the West Coast Main Line
) and Lancaster railway station
to the south.
Kendal is around 8 miles (12 km) from the M6 motorway
, and is bypassed on the west by the A591 road
, linking it to Windermere, Keswick
and the A590
leading to Barrow, as well as being the terminus of the A65 road to Kirkby Lonsdale
and a destination on the A6 road to Penrith. Kendal is signposted off the M6 at Junctions 36 (A65, A590), Junction 37 (A684 road
), Junction 38 (A685 road
) and Junction 39 (A6). The three-mile £1.9m A591 bypass opened on August 29, 1971.
The Lancaster Canal
was built as far as Kendal in 1819, but the northern section was rendered unnavigable by the construction of the M6. Part of this section was also drained and filled in to prevent leakage, and the course of the canal through Kendal has now been developed. The canal towpath, however, remains as a footpath through Kendal. A campaign is currently underway to restore the canal as far as Kendal.
Kendal is served by a long distance coach service from London (once per day) and local buses run from the bus station to destinations such as Ambleside
and Barrow in Furness.
, on Appleby Road, is a Secondary Foundation School
, with Technology College status. The school also operates an outstanding Sixth Form.
Kirkbie Kendal School
, formerly known as Kendal Grammar School, is a Secondary School Business and Enterprise College
that serves the area around the town and rural countryside. Kirkbie Kendal School operates as a Foundation school
; its previous students include the historian David Starkey
and Clinical Psychologist Vanessa Jones.
There are numerous Primary Schools in the area, including Castle Park, Stramongate School, Heron Hill, Ghyllside, Vicarage Park, St Thomas's and Dean Gibson.
In the nearby village of Natland
, there is St Marks School.
spoken around the Kendal area.
.
, Lower Saxony, Germany Killarney
, County Kerry, Republic of Ireland
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
and civil parish within the South Lakeland District
South Lakeland
South Lakeland is a local government district in Cumbria, England. Its council is based in Kendal. It includes much of the Lake District.The district was created on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972...
of Cumbria
Cumbria
Cumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is 40 miles (64 km) south of Carlisle, on the River Kent
River Kent
The River Kent is a short river in the county of Cumbria in England. The river originates in hills surrounding Kentmere, and flows for around 20 miles into the north of Morecambe Bay. The Lake District National Park includes the upper reaches of the river within its boundaries.The river passes...
, and has a total resident population of 27,505, making it the third largest settlement in Cumbria, behind Carlisle and Barrow in Furness.
Historically
Historic counties of England
The historic counties of England are subdivisions of England established for administration by the Normans and in most cases based on earlier Anglo-Saxon kingdoms and shires...
a part of Westmorland
Westmorland
Westmorland is an area of North West England and one of the 39 historic counties of England. It formed an administrative county from 1889 to 1974, after which the entirety of the county was absorbed into the new county of Cumbria.-Early history:...
, Kendal today is known largely as a centre for tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
, as the home of Kendal mint cake
Kendal mint cake
Kendal Mint Cake is a glucose-based confectionery flavoured with peppermint. It originates from Kendal in Cumbria, England. Kendal Mint Cake is said to be popular among climbers and mountaineers, especially those from the United Kingdom, as a source of energy....
, and as a producer of pipe tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
and tobacco snuff
Snuff
Snuff is a product made from ground or pulverised tobacco leaves. It is an example of smokeless tobacco. It originated in the Americas and was in common use in Europe by the 17th century...
. Its buildings, mostly constructed with the local grey limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
, have earned it the nickname the Auld Grey Town.
History
Kendal is listed in the Domesday BookDomesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
as part of Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
with the name Cherchbi. For many centuries it was called Kirkbie Kendal, meaning "village with a church in the valley of the River Kent". The earliest castle was a Norman motte and bailey (now located on the west side of the town) when the settlement went under the name of Kirkbie Strickland
Strickland
The English surname Strickland is derived from the Norse word Stercaland, which is found in Westmorland to the south of Penrith. It did not become a family name until after 1179, when Walter de Castlecarrock married Christian de Leteham, an heiress to the local estate that now includes the villages...
A chartered market town
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
, the centre of Kendal is structured around a high street with fortified alleyways, known locally as yards, off to either side which allowed the local population to seek shelter from the Anglo-Scottish raiding parties known as the Border Reivers
Border Reivers
Border Reivers were raiders along the Anglo–Scottish border from the late 13th century to the beginning of the 17th century. Their ranks consisted of both Scottish and English families, and they raided the entire border country without regard to their victims' nationality...
. The main industry in these times was the manufacture of wool
Wool
Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and certain other animals, including cashmere from goats, mohair from goats, qiviut from muskoxen, vicuña, alpaca, camel from animals in the camel family, and angora from rabbits....
len goods, the importance of which is reflected in the town's coat of arms
Heraldry
Heraldry is the profession, study, or art of creating, granting, and blazoning arms and ruling on questions of rank or protocol, as exercised by an officer of arms. Heraldry comes from Anglo-Norman herald, from the Germanic compound harja-waldaz, "army commander"...
and in its Latin motto "Pannus mihi panis", meaning wool (literally 'cloth') is my bread. "Kendal Green" was hard-wearing wool-based fabric specific to the local manufacturing process, and was supposedly sported by the Kendalian archers who were instrumental in the English victory over the French at the Battle of Agincourt
Battle of Agincourt
The Battle of Agincourt was a major English victory against a numerically superior French army in the Hundred Years' War. The battle occurred on Friday, 25 October 1415 , near modern-day Azincourt, in northern France...
. Kendal Green was also worn by slaves in the Americas, and is mentioned in songs and literature from that time.
The site of several (ruined
Ruins
Ruins are the remains of human-made architecture: structures that were once complete, as time went by, have fallen into a state of partial or complete disrepair, due to lack of maintenance or deliberate acts of destruction...
) castles, the most recent one constructed in the late-12th century, Kendal Castle
Kendal Castle
Kendal Castle is situated on a mound-like hill, known as a drumlin, to the east of the town of Kendal, Cumbria, in northern England.- History :The castle was probably built in the late 12th century as the home of the Lancaster family who were Barons of Kendal...
, has a long history as a stronghold of one kind or another. The castle is best known for being the home of the Parr family. The Parr's inherited the castle through marriage during the reign of Edward III of England
Edward III of England
Edward III was King of England from 1327 until his death and is noted for his military success. Restoring royal authority after the disastrous reign of his father, Edward II, Edward III went on to transform the Kingdom of England into one of the most formidable military powers in Europe...
. Rumours still circulate that King Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
's sixth wife Catherine Parr
Catherine Parr
Catherine Parr ; 1512 – 5 September 1548) was Queen consort of England and Ireland and the last of the six wives of King Henry VIII of England. She married Henry VIII on 12 July 1543. She was the fourth commoner Henry had taken as his consort, and outlived him...
was born at Kendal Castle, but based on the evidence available this is very unlikely. By the time Catherine was born the castle was beyond disrepair and her father was already based in Blackfriars, London, as a member of the court of King Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
.
Kendal Mint Cake
Kendal is known for Kendal mint cake, a glucoseGlucose
Glucose is a simple sugar and an important carbohydrate in biology. Cells use it as the primary source of energy and a metabolic intermediate...
-based type of confectionery reputedly discovered accidentally by Joseph Wiper during his search for a clear glacier mint.
Used on numerous expeditions to mountaintops (including Mount Everest
Mount Everest
Mount Everest is the world's highest mountain, with a peak at above sea level. It is located in the Mahalangur section of the Himalayas. The international boundary runs across the precise summit point...
and K2
K2
K2 is the second-highest mountain on Earth, after Mount Everest...
) and both poles of the Earth, its popularity is mainly due to the very astute decision of the original manufacturer's great nephew to market it as an energy food, and to supply Ernest Shackleton
Ernest Shackleton
Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton, CVO, OBE was a notable explorer from County Kildare, Ireland, who was one of the principal figures of the period known as the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration...
's 1914-17 Transarctic Expedition
Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition
The Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition , also known as the Endurance Expedition, is considered the last major expedition of the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration. Conceived by Sir Ernest Shackleton, the expedition was an attempt to make the first land crossing of the Antarctic continent...
.
By the time the business was sold to competitor Romney's in 1987 there were several rival mint cake producers, many of which are still in business.
Tobacco and snuff
SnuffSnuff
Snuff is a product made from ground or pulverised tobacco leaves. It is an example of smokeless tobacco. It originated in the Americas and was in common use in Europe by the 17th century...
production in Kendal dates from 1792, when Kendalian Thomas Harrison returned from Glasgow, Scotland, where he had learned the art of snuff manufacture. He also brought with him 50 tons of second-hand equipment, all carried on horse back. Pipe tobacco and other tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
products were subsequently added to the firm's production. Ownership of his firm passed eventually to his son-in-law, Samuel Gawith, whose eponymic firm, Samuel Gawith & Co., continues in business to this day. Following Samuel Gawith's death in 1865, the firm passed into the hands of his two eldest sons. During this time the business was administered initially by trustees, including Henry Hoggarth, and John Thomas Illingworth.
Illingworth left the firm in 1867 to start his own firm, which remained in business until the 1980s. The youngest son of Samuel Gawith the First subsequently teamed with Henry Hoggarth to form Gawith Hoggarth TT, Ltd. Both Samuel Gawith & Company and Gawith Hoggarth TT continue in business today in Kendal, producing snuffs and tobacco products still used around the world. Samuel Gawith and Company also hold the distinction of employing the oldest piece of industrial equipment still in production use in the world, a device manufactured in the 1750s.
Civic history
The municipal boroughMunicipal borough
Municipal boroughs were a type of local government district which existed in England and Wales between 1835 and 1974, in Northern Ireland from 1840 to 1973 and in the Republic of Ireland from 1840 to 2002...
of Kendal was created in 1835 and until 1894 the town was also an urban sanitary district
Sanitary district
Sanitary districts were established in England and Wales in 1875 and in Ireland in 1878. The districts were of two types, based on existing structures:*Urban sanitary districts in towns with existing local government bodies...
. The borough boundaries were altered in 1935 by gaining a small part of South Westmorland Rural District
South Westmorland Rural District
South Westmorland was a rural district in Westmorland, England from 1894 to 1974. It saw various boundary changes during its life, particularly in 1935, when it absorbed Kirkby Lonsdale urban district, whilst the Lakes UD was split out at the same time. The district was merged in 1974 under the...
under a County Review Order
Local Government Act 1929
The Local Government Act 1929 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that made changes to the Poor Law and local government in England and Wales....
.
The civil parishes of Kirkland and Nether Graveship were abolished in 1908 and became part of Kendal Civil Parish whose boundaries were after that the same as the borough.
Kendal was, from 1888 to 1974, the administrative centre of the administrative county
Administrative counties of England
Administrative counties were a level of subnational division of England used for the purposes of local government from 1889 to 1974. They were created by the Local Government Act 1888 as the areas for which county councils were elected. Some large counties were divided into several administrative...
of Westmorland
Westmorland
Westmorland is an area of North West England and one of the 39 historic counties of England. It formed an administrative county from 1889 to 1974, after which the entirety of the county was absorbed into the new county of Cumbria.-Early history:...
although Appleby
Appleby-in-Westmorland
Appleby-in-Westmorland is a town and civil parish in Cumbria, in North West England. It is situated within a loop of the River Eden and has a population of approximately 2,500. It is in the historic county of Westmorland, of which it was the county town. The town's name was simply Appleby, until...
is the traditional county town
County town
A county town is a county's administrative centre in the United Kingdom or Ireland. County towns are usually the location of administrative or judicial functions, or established over time as the de facto main town of a county. The concept of a county town eventually became detached from its...
.
The borough of Kendal was abolished in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972
Local Government Act 1972
The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974....
to become a part of South Lakeland
South Lakeland
South Lakeland is a local government district in Cumbria, England. Its council is based in Kendal. It includes much of the Lake District.The district was created on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972...
district of Cumbria
Cumbria
Cumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...
. The town was a successor parish
Successor parish
Successor parishes are civil parishes with a parish council created by the Local Government Act 1972 in England. They replaced, with the same boundaries, a selected group of urban districts and municipal boroughs that were abolished in 1974. Most successor parish councils exercised the right to...
, and thus kept its own town council
Town council
A town council is a democratically elected form of government for small municipalities or civil parishes. A council may serve as both the representative and executive branch....
.
Parliamentary representation
Kendal is part of the Westmorland and Lonsdale parliamentary constituency of which Tim FarronTim Farron
Timothy James Farron is a British Liberal Democrat politician. He is currently Member of Parliament for the constituency of Westmorland and Lonsdale...
is the current MP representing the Liberal Democrats
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
.
Geography
Kendal stands on the River KentRiver Kent
The River Kent is a short river in the county of Cumbria in England. The river originates in hills surrounding Kentmere, and flows for around 20 miles into the north of Morecambe Bay. The Lake District National Park includes the upper reaches of the river within its boundaries.The river passes...
, surrounded by low hills. It is near (but not in) the Lake District National Park. When the National Park was formed in 1951 the boundary was deliberately shaped to exclude Kendal. Although a relatively small town, it is an important commercial centre for a wide area thanks to its rural
Rural
Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...
location. It is affectionately referred to as "The Gateway to The Lakes".
Economy
Kendal's early prosperity was based largely on cloth manufacture. In the 19th century it became a centre for the manufacture of snuffSnuff
Snuff is a product made from ground or pulverised tobacco leaves. It is an example of smokeless tobacco. It originated in the Americas and was in common use in Europe by the 17th century...
and shoe
Shoe
A shoe is an item of footwear intended to protect and comfort the human foot while doing various activities. Shoes are also used as an item of decoration. The design of shoes has varied enormously through time and from culture to culture, with appearance originally being tied to function...
s; the K Shoes company remained a major employer in the town until its factory closed in 2003. http://www.cumbria-industries.org.uk/kshoes.htm There are still a number of industries based in the town, such as Gilbert Gilkes & Gordon (manufacturers of pumps and turbines), James Cropper paper makers,based in Burneside, just NW of Kendal, Mardix (switchgear) and Heinz, who have a facility making baby milk in the north of the town. Though tourism is now one of the main employers, there is a significant IT and design sector in the town (this being non-geographic dependent) the increase of broadband availability has significantly increased this.
On February 26, 2003, Kendal was granted Fairtrade Town
Fairtrade Town
Fairtrade Town is a status awarded by a recognized Fairtrade certification body describing an area which is committed to the promotion of Fairtrade certified goods...
status.
Transport
Kendal railway station
Kendal railway station is a railway station serving Kendal in Cumbria. The station is situated on the Windermere Branch Line from Oxenholme to Windermere. It is operated by First TransPennine Express. It only has one platform which has a stone-built shelter. It is unstaffed. It is served by one...
is situated on the Windermere Branch Line
Windermere Branch Line
The Lakes Line is the railway line from Oxenholme to Kendal and Windermere, originally part of the Kendal and Windermere Railway.Passenger services are operated by TransPennine Express using modern Class 185 diesel multiple units....
and gives connections to Windermere railway station
Windermere railway station
Windermere railway station is the railway station that serves Windermere in Cumbria, England. It is just south of the A591, about 15 min walk or a short bus ride from the lake. The station is located behind a branch of the Booths supermarket chain, which occupies the site of the original station...
to the north, and Oxenholme Lake District railway station
Oxenholme Lake District railway station
Oxenholme The Lake District railway station is a railway station in Oxenholme, near Kendal in Cumbria, England. The station is situated on the West Coast Main Line and is also the start of the Windermere Branch Line to Windermere. The station serves as a main line connection point for Kendal, and...
(on the West Coast Main Line
West Coast Main Line
The West Coast Main Line is the busiest mixed-traffic railway route in Britain, being the country's most important rail backbone in terms of population served. Fast, long-distance inter-city passenger services are provided between London, the West Midlands, the North West, North Wales and the...
) and Lancaster railway station
Lancaster railway station
Lancaster railway station is a railway station that serves the city of Lancaster in Lancashire, England...
to the south.
Kendal is around 8 miles (12 km) from the M6 motorway
M6 motorway
The M6 motorway runs from junction 19 of the M1 at the Catthorpe Interchange, near Rugby via Birmingham then heads north, passing Stoke-on-Trent, Manchester, Preston, Carlisle and terminating at the Gretna junction . Here, just short of the Scottish border it becomes the A74 which continues to...
, and is bypassed on the west by the A591 road
A591 road
The A591 is a major road in Cumbria, in the north-west of England. The stretch of the road between Windermere and Keswick has been voted Britain's Favourite Road.-Route:...
, linking it to Windermere, Keswick
Keswick, Cumbria
Keswick is a market town and civil parish within the Borough of Allerdale in Cumbria, England. It had a population of 4,984, according to the 2001 census, and is situated just north of Derwent Water, and a short distance from Bassenthwaite Lake, both in the Lake District National Park...
and the A590
A590 road
The A590 is a trunk road in southern Cumbria, in the north-west of England. It runs north-east to south-west from M6 junction 36, through the towns of Ulverston and Barrow-in-Furness to terminate at Vickerstown on Walney Island. The road is a mixture of dual carriageway and single carriageway,...
leading to Barrow, as well as being the terminus of the A65 road to Kirkby Lonsdale
Kirkby Lonsdale
Kirkby Lonsdale is a small town and civil parish in the South Lakeland district of Cumbria, England, on the River Lune. Historically within Westmorland, it is situated south east of Kendal along the A65. The parish had a population of 1,771 recorded in the 2001 census.Notable buildings include St...
and a destination on the A6 road to Penrith. Kendal is signposted off the M6 at Junctions 36 (A65, A590), Junction 37 (A684 road
A684 road
The A684 is an A road that runs through Cumbria and North Yorkshire, starting at Kendal, Cumbria and ending at Ellerbeck and the A19 road in North Yorkshire...
), Junction 38 (A685 road
A685 road
The A685 is a road in Cumbria, England, that runs 28 miles from Kendal to Brough.-Route:The A685 begins in Kendal town centre off the A6. It heads in a north-easterly direction to the village of Tebay and junction 38 of the M6 motorway. From the M6 the A685 has primary status as it heads in an...
) and Junction 39 (A6). The three-mile £1.9m A591 bypass opened on August 29, 1971.
The Lancaster Canal
Lancaster Canal
The Lancaster Canal is a canal in the north of England, originally planned to run from Westhoughton in Lancashire to Kendal in south Cumbria...
was built as far as Kendal in 1819, but the northern section was rendered unnavigable by the construction of the M6. Part of this section was also drained and filled in to prevent leakage, and the course of the canal through Kendal has now been developed. The canal towpath, however, remains as a footpath through Kendal. A campaign is currently underway to restore the canal as far as Kendal.
Kendal is served by a long distance coach service from London (once per day) and local buses run from the bus station to destinations such as Ambleside
Ambleside
Ambleside is a town in Cumbria, in North West England.Historically within the county of Westmorland, it is situated at the head of Windermere, England's largest lake...
and Barrow in Furness.
Education
The Queen Katherine SchoolQueen Katherine School
The Queen Katherine School is a Technology College in Kendal, Cumbria, England. It is a co-educational facility for 11-18 year olds and has 1445 students.-Ethos:The school's ethos is...
, on Appleby Road, is a Secondary Foundation School
Foundation school
In England and Wales, a foundation school is a state-funded school in which the governing body has greater freedom in the running of the school than in community schools....
, with Technology College status. The school also operates an outstanding Sixth Form.
Kirkbie Kendal School
Kirkbie Kendal School
Kirkbie Kendal School is a comprehensive school and known as a Business and Enterprise College in Kendal, Cumbria, England, and serves the area around the town and rural countryside. Kirkbie Kendal School operates as a Foundation school, and has been regularly oversubscribed, accepting students...
, formerly known as Kendal Grammar School, is a Secondary School Business and Enterprise College
Business and Enterprise College
Business and Enterprise Colleges were introduced in 2002 as part of the Specialist Schools Programme in the United Kingdom. The system enables secondary schools to specialise in certain fields...
that serves the area around the town and rural countryside. Kirkbie Kendal School operates as a Foundation school
Foundation school
In England and Wales, a foundation school is a state-funded school in which the governing body has greater freedom in the running of the school than in community schools....
; its previous students include the historian David Starkey
David Starkey
David Starkey, CBE, FSA is a British constitutional historian, and a radio and television presenter.He was born the only child of Quaker parents, and attended Kendal Grammar School before entering Cambridge through a scholarship. There he specialised in Tudor history, writing a thesis on King...
and Clinical Psychologist Vanessa Jones.
There are numerous Primary Schools in the area, including Castle Park, Stramongate School, Heron Hill, Ghyllside, Vicarage Park, St Thomas's and Dean Gibson.
In the nearby village of Natland
Natland
Natland is village and civil parish about two miles south of Kendal in the South Lakeland district of Cumbria, close to the village of Oxenholme. At the time of the 2001 census the population was 747....
, there is St Marks School.
Places of interest
- Kendal MuseumKendal MuseumKendal Museum is a local museum in Kendal, Cumbria, on the edge of the Lake District in northwest England. It was founded in 1796 and includes collections of local archaeology, history, geology and a natural history collection from around the globe. The museum also features a changing programme of...
- one of the oldest in the country, it includes exhibits on area history, culture, archaeology, geology, local and world natural history, Roman Britain, Ancient Egypt - Abbot Hall Art GalleryAbbot Hall Art GalleryAbbot Hall Art Gallery is a museum and gallery in Kendal, England. Abbot Hall was built in 1759 by Colonel George Wilson, the second son of Daniel Wilson of Dallam Tower, a large house and country estate nearby. It was built on the site of the old Abbot’s Hall, roughly where the museum is today...
(housed in a Georgian villa, it mounts nationally important exhibitions, such as David BombergDavid BombergDavid Garshen Bomberg was an English painter, and one of the Whitechapel Boys.Bomberg was one of the most audacious of the exceptional generation of artists who studied at the Slade School of Art under Henry Tonks, and which included Mark Gertler, Stanley Spencer, C.R.W. Nevinson and Dora Carrington...
: Spirit in the Mass (17 July - 28 October 2006). Permanent collection includes George RomneyGeorge Romney (painter)George Romney was an English portrait painter. He was the most fashionable artist of his day, painting many leading society figures - including his artistic muse, Emma Hamilton, mistress of Lord Nelson....
, JMW Turner, John RuskinJohn RuskinJohn Ruskin was the leading English art critic of the Victorian era, also an art patron, draughtsman, watercolourist, a prominent social thinker and philanthropist. He wrote on subjects ranging from geology to architecture, myth to ornithology, literature to education, and botany to political...
, Ben NicholsonBen NicholsonBenjamin Lauder "Ben" Nicholson, OM was a British painter of abstract compositions , landscape and still-life.-Background and Training:...
, Paula RegoPaula RegoPaula Rego is a painter born in Portugal although she is a naturalised British citizen.-Biography:Rego was born in the Portuguese capital Lisbon, the daughter of an electrical engineer who worked for the Marconi Company. Although this gave her a comfortable middle class home, the family was...
, Lucian FreudLucian FreudLucian Michael Freud, OM, CH was a British painter. Known chiefly for his thickly impasted portrait and figure paintings, he was widely considered the pre-eminent British artist of his time...
, Stanley SpencerStanley SpencerSir Stanley Spencer was an English painter. Much of his work depicts Biblical scenes, from miracles to Crucifixion, happening not in the Holy Land but in the small Thames-side village where he was born and spent most of his life...
and Barbara HepworthBarbara HepworthDame Barbara Hepworth DBE was an English sculptor. Her work exemplifies Modernism, and with such contemporaries as Ivon Hitchens, Henry Moore, Ben Nicholson, Naum Gabo she helped to develop modern art in Britain.-Life and work:Jocelyn Barbara Hepworth was born on 10 January 1903 in Wakefield,...
. - Museum of Lakeland LifeMuseum of Lakeland LifeThe Museum of Lakeland Life is a local museum in Kendal, Cumbria, northwest England.The museum was opened in 1971 by Princess Alexandra. It won the first ever UK Museum of the Year award in 1973....
- Castle Howe, Kendal’s undisputed first castle, lies on the hill side overlooking the town. The earthwork remains are sandwiched between Gilling Gate and Beast Banks
- Kendal CastleKendal CastleKendal Castle is situated on a mound-like hill, known as a drumlin, to the east of the town of Kendal, Cumbria, in northern England.- History :The castle was probably built in the late 12th century as the home of the Lancaster family who were Barons of Kendal...
, to the east of the earthworks, probably built while Castle Howe was still being used - Friends'Religious Society of FriendsThe Religious Society of Friends, or Friends Church, is a Christian movement which stresses the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. Members are known as Friends, or popularly as Quakers. It is made of independent organisations, which have split from one another due to doctrinal differences...
Meeting House, home of the Quaker TapestryQuaker TapestryThe Quaker Tapestry consists of 77 panels illustrating the history of Quakerism from the 17th century up to the present day. The idea of Quaker Anne Wynn-Wilson, the tapestry has a permanent home at the Friends Meeting House at Kendal, Cumbria, England.... - The Brewery Arts Centre (offering theatre, dance, exhibitions, cinemas, music, workshops, youth drama, dance and food and drink)
- Staff of Life bakery with fresh tasty bread
- Kendal Leisure Centre
- Kendal Parish Church (Holy Trinity) Kendal Parish ChurchKendal Parish Church, dedicated to the Holy Trinity, is a Grade I Listed Parish Church of the Church of England in Kendal, Cumbria, England.Visitors to the church are struck by its size and the lightness of the interior...
- Lakeland Radio Stadium official football ground of Kendal Town F.C.Kendal Town F.C.Kendal Town F.C. is an English football club based in Kendal, Cumbria. The club are currently members of the Premier Division of the Northern Premier League and play at Parkside.-History:...
- Netherfield Cricket Club Ground - home ground of Netherfield Cricket Club and Cumberland County Cricket ClubCumberland County Cricket ClubCumberland County Cricket Club is one of the county clubs which make up the Minor Counties in the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Cumberland and playing in the Minor Counties Championship and the MCCA Knockout Trophy...
Notable people
The following is a list of people who either were born in Kendal or have significant contacts with Kendal:- David StarkeyDavid StarkeyDavid Starkey, CBE, FSA is a British constitutional historian, and a radio and television presenter.He was born the only child of Quaker parents, and attended Kendal Grammar School before entering Cambridge through a scholarship. There he specialised in Tudor history, writing a thesis on King...
, Historian,Tudor period - Desmond BagleyDesmond BagleyDesmond Bagley , was a British journalist and novelist principally known for a series of best-selling thrillers...
, Thriller writer - Jonathan Dodgson Carr, founder of Carrs Breadmakers and social reform campaigner
- John Cunliffe, creator of Postman PatPostman PatPostman Pat is a British stop-motion animated children's television series first produced by Woodland Animations. It is aimed at pre-school children, and concerns the adventures of Pat Clifton, a postman in the fictional village of Greendale .Postman Pat's first 13-episode season was screened on...
- John DaltonJohn DaltonJohn Dalton FRS was an English chemist, meteorologist and physicist. He is best known for his pioneering work in the development of modern atomic theory, and his research into colour blindness .-Early life:John Dalton was born into a Quaker family at Eaglesfield, near Cockermouth, Cumberland,...
, Chemist and Physicist - Sir Arthur EddingtonArthur Stanley EddingtonSir Arthur Stanley Eddington, OM, FRS was a British astrophysicist of the early 20th century. He was also a philosopher of science and a popularizer of science...
, Astrophysicist - James EllisonJames Ellison (motorcycle racer)James Desmond Ellison is an English motorcycle racer. He is currently set to make a return to Moto GP for the 2012 season on a CRT bike for Paul Bird Motorsport. He is a double European Superstock champion, World Endurance champion and has previously raced in British Superbikes, World Supersport,...
, British Superbikes rider - Ken MajorKen MajorJohn Kenneth Major ARIBA, FSA, popularly known as Ken Major was an architect, author and world authority on industrial archaeology, particularly windmills, watermills and animal powered machines. As an author, he was known as J Kenneth Major.-Early life:Ken Major was born in Reading, Berkshire on...
(1928–2009), architectArchitectAn architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
, authorAuthorAn author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
and molinologistMolinologyMolinology is the study of mills or other mechanical devices which use the kinetic energy of moving water or wind to power machines for such purposes as hammering, grinding, pumping, sawing, pressing or fulling. Muscle-powered mills are also considered to be part of the field...
, attended Kendal School - George RomneyGeorge Romney (painter)George Romney was an English portrait painter. He was the most fashionable artist of his day, painting many leading society figures - including his artistic muse, Emma Hamilton, mistress of Lord Nelson....
, portrait painter - Keith StaintonKeith StaintonKeith Monin Stainton was a British Conservative politician and World War II hero in France.Keith Stainton was born in Kendal, Westmorland, the son of a Kendal butcher and a Belgian refugee he had met during the First World War. He left Kendal School at 14 and worked as an insurance clerk from...
, politician and WW2 hero in France - Alfred WainwrightAlfred WainwrightAlfred Wainwright MBE was a British fellwalker, guidebook author and illustrator. His seven-volume Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells, published between 1955 and 1966 and consisting entirely of reproductions of his manuscript, has become the standard reference work to 214 of the fells of the...
, Guidebook author and walker - Wild BeastsWild BeastsWild Beasts are an indie rock band from Kendal in Cumbria. They released their first single, "Brave Bulging Buoyant Clairvoyants", on Bad Sneakers Records in November 2006, and subsequently signed to Domino Records. They have released three acclaimed albums, Limbo, Panto in 2008, Two Dancers in...
, indie-rock band - Keith WilkinsonKeith Wilkinson (reporter)Keith Wilkinson is a British television reporter and news correspondent.Born in Lancashire, England, he began his career in newspaper journalism as a trainee reporter at The Westmorland Gazette in Kendal, Cumbria, in 1974...
, ITV television news reporter - John WilsonJohn Wilson (mathematician)John Wilson was an English mathematician. The theorem, Wilson's Theorem, named after him for its discovery from Ibn al-Haytham, not its proof....
, mathematician and astronomer - Yan, HamiltonHamilton (musician)Neil Hamilton Wilkinson is the bassist and second vocalist in British Sea Power.Earlier in the band's career, he was the secondary songwriter, his brother Yan writing the majority of the tracks for their first two albums...
and WoodWood (musician)Matthew Wood born and under the is British Sea Power's drummer. He also helps design most of the artwork for the sleeves....
of the indie-rock band British Sea PowerBritish Sea PowerBritish Sea Power are an indie rock band based in Brighton, England, although three of the band members originally come from Kendal in Cumbria. Critics have likened their sound to a variety of groups, from The Cure and Joy Division to the Pixies and Arcade Fire. The band are famed for their live...
– raised in Natland, a nearby village. - Steve HogarthSteve HogarthSteve Hogarth also known as "h", is the lead vocalist and occasional keyboardist/guitarist with the British rock band Marillion. Hogarth was formerly a keyboard player and co-lead vocalist with The Europeans and vocalist with How We Live...
, vocalist of rock band MarillionMarillionMarillion are a British rock band, formed in Aylesbury, England in 1979. Their recorded studio output comprises sixteen albums generally regarded in two distinct eras, delineated by the departure of original vocalist & frontman Fish in late 1988, and the subsequent arrival of replacement Steve... - Steven HallBritain's Got Talent (series 5)The fifth series of Britain's Got Talent began on 16 April 2011 and ended on 4 June 2011. The winner of the show was Jai McDowall, who received £100,000 and a place at the 2011 Royal Variety Performance. The show was hosted by Ant & Dec on ITV, while Stephen Mulhern presented Britain's Got More...
, Britain's Got TalentBritain's Got Talent (series 5)The fifth series of Britain's Got Talent began on 16 April 2011 and ended on 4 June 2011. The winner of the show was Jai McDowall, who received £100,000 and a place at the 2011 Royal Variety Performance. The show was hosted by Ant & Dec on ITV, while Stephen Mulhern presented Britain's Got More...
Finalist 2011 - Comedy Dancer.
Kendal dialect
The Kendal dialect known as Kendalian, is a variant of the Cumbrian dialectCumbrian dialect
The Cumbrian dialect is a local English dialect spoken in Cumbria in northern England, not to be confused with the extinct Celtic language Cumbric that used to be spoken in Cumbria. As in any county, there is a gradual drift in accent towards its neighbours...
spoken around the Kendal area.
Kendal Mountain Search & Rescue Team
Kendal has for many years maintained a voluntary Mountain Search & Rescue Team based at Busher Walk. They have performed numerous rescues around the Kendal area, and along with other local Mountain Rescue teams, helped at the Grayrigg derailmentGrayrigg derailment
The Grayrigg derailment was a fatal railway accident that occurred at approximately 20:15 GMT on 23 February 2007, just to the south of Grayrigg, Cumbria, in North West England. The initial conclusion of the accident investigation is that the derailment was caused by a faulty set of points ,...
.
Twin towns
Kendal is twinned with: RintelnRinteln
Rinteln is a small town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located on the banks of the Weser river above the Porta Westfalica. Population: 28,500.It is accessed by the A2 autobahn .-History:...
, Lower Saxony, Germany Killarney
Killarney
Killarney is a town in County Kerry, southwestern Ireland. The town is located north of the MacGillicuddy Reeks, on the northeastern shore of the Lough Lein/Leane which are part of Killarney National Park. The town and its surrounding region are home to St...
, County Kerry, Republic of Ireland
External links
- Kendal Town Council
- The Northern Reaches—Restoration of the canal to Kendal
- Kendal Museum