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Kendal

Kendal is an ancient town in the former county of Westmorland, now in the South Lakeland district county of Cumbria. It stands on the river Kent from which it takes its name (Kent-Dale, when said quickly, is Kendal). It is where Kendal Mint Cake was originally made.

Currently with a population of 27,521 (2001 estimate), Kendal was pronounced the best place to live in England by an eight-year long survey undertaken by the University of Strathclyde.

Location

Kendal is situated on the edge of the Lake District National Park, and is thus handy for some of the best scenery in the world. Local scenes have long been inspiration for poets, writers and musicians, and a relatively large number of famous faces reside or have holiday homes in the area. Now part of the county of Cumbria, Kendal is an important town in a largely rural area. Also of note is the reluctance of a sizable portion of the population to acknowledge the

History

A chartered market town, the center of Kendal is structured around a highstreet with fortified yards off to either side which allowed the local population to seek shelter from Celtic raiding parties. The main industry in these times was the manufacture of woollen goods - indeed the town coat of arms features several icons associated with the woolen industry and the town's latin motto "Pannus mihi panis" is literally translated as "wool 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 Agincourt.

The site of several (ruined) castles, the most recent one constructed in the late 12^th century, Kendal has a long history as a stronghold of one kind or another.

More recently, Kendal's major industries included the manufacture of shoes, but the closure of local factories indicated the almost inevitable move towards a tourism-based economy.

A Brief Note About the Weather

Kendal's weather is less than spectacular for most of the time. Although average rainfall is lower than some other places, the moniker of "Auld Grey Town" may have as much to do with the weather as the slate architecture.

Having said that, if you are lucky enough to catch the area on a cloud-free day (or better still whilst in the unpredictable two weeks of excellent weather just outside the tourist season) it will be almost certainly warm, and the often high visibility is great if you like a nice view.

What To Do In Kendal

Kendal does have more to offer after the 11 o'clock watershed than most rural towns Tinto's and the Brewery Arts centre are the best places but be prepared for the 2am rush for taxis that might leave you with a long walk home. The Brewery also has a two-screen cinema. There are also some good pubs hidden amongst the yards, and there is a small selection of post-closing-hours eateries, so if you must hit the bars there is a choice.

For the more diurnal of us, Kendal has some interesting views, many of which can be seen from the ruined castle which rises out of the centre of the valley in which Kendal resides.

My personal favourite view within walking distance of the town centre is that to be observed at dawn from the top of the Helm (a hill a couple of miles south of the town proper, nestled in between the villages of Natland and Oxenholme).

The Kendal Museum of Natural History and Archaeology is one of the oldest in the country, and, although not huge, has a well-appointed geology exhibition (the geology of the Lake District is incredibly varied - local schools have been known to take geological expeditions thousands of miles to best what can be found locally)

Abbot Hall Art Gallery and the Lakeland Museum of Rural Life (http://www.abbothall.org.uk/) are also worth a visit (although possibly overpriced), and sandwiches on the lawn by the river there is a highly recommended way to have lunch, assuming the weather is good.

Mint Cake

The most famous product of Kendal is mint cake, a glucose-based product reputedly accidentally discovered by one Joseph Wiper during his search for the clear glacier mint.

Used on numerous expeditions to mountaintops (including Everest and K2) and both poles of th 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 Shackleton's 1914-1917 Transarctic Expedition.

By the time the business was sold to competitor Romney's in 1987 there were a whole host of rival mintcake producers, many of which are still in business.