10 Historical Kendal Buildings
1) Sandes Hospital
Sandes Hospital was founded by wealthy cloth and wool merchant Thomas Sandes (1606–1681), a former Mayor of Kendal who established a school and eight almshouses for poor widows of good reputation aged over 52..
In return for helping with daily work, the widows were provided with a free cottage and one shilling every Saturday.
The peaceful yard still contains the small houses built for the eight widows, while at the entrance stands an old begging box where donations were once collected for the poor elderly ladies.
The impressive gatehouse, formerly the master’s house, features single-storey wings and once housed the school and library in the chamber above the gateway. The almshouses were rebuilt in 1852 by Kendal architect Miles Thompson.
Thomas Sandes became Mayor of Kendal in 1647, and his historic almshouses can still be seen today on Highgate in Kendal. In 1886, the school merged with Kendal Grammar School, later succeeded in 1980 by Kirkbie Kendal School, whose Trustees still own the property today.
2) Holy Trinity Church
Holy Trinity Church is Kendal’s oldest building. Dedicated to the Holy Trinity, the church is always known as just the parish church.
The core of the building consists of a chancel, nave, and inner aisles dating back to the 13th century. They were all remodelled in the perpendicular style when the church was enlarged with the outer aisles in the 15th and 16th centuries.
Near the church’s entrance is the 15th-century baptismal font, where the people of Kendal have been baptised for hundreds of years.
A strange story: On a scorching hot day in the 1970s, a stonemason working on the vestry of Kendal’s parish church brought a pint of beer to cool off.
When the vicar, who didn’t drink alcohol, arrived, the stonemason quickly hid the beer in a cavity wall. The vicar took so long that the pint ended up being sealed inside the wall, where it remains to this day
3) Abbot Hall
To the rear of Kendal Parish Church grounds is Abbot Hall, built on the site of the Abbot’s House, which stood here in the Middle Ages. The present house was built in the middle of the 18th century by George Wilson and was planned by John Carr of York, whose portrait hangs in the house. The house remained uninhabited after being purchased by the Corporation in 1896 until a trust restored the building to its 18th-century elegance.
This fine example of Georgian architecture now incorporates an art gallery and cultural centre displaying permanent and changing exhibitions of work by artists and craftsmen.
4) Ye Old Fleece Inn
The Ye Old Fleece Inn is generally accepted as Kendal’s oldest surviving inn, reputedly built in 1654. This date appears on a panel in the building to the left of the building, which used to be part of the premises.
The inn is one of Kendal’s few remaining timber-framed buildings and is the only building in the town centre that retains its original jettied first floor supported by five pillars.
The inn was originally called the Golden Fleece, a symbol adopted by woolcombers during the annual processions.
5) Castle Dairy
Castle Dairy was built in the 14th century and is believed to be the oldest continuously occupied house. It was refurbished in 1564 by Anthony Garnett, and the exterior has remained virtually unchanged except for minor changes to suit current needs.
Doves or pigeons were an important source of fresh meat in earlier days. On the gables of Castle Dairy facing Wildman Street are entrances to the dovecotes in the roof.
6) Anchorite Well
This is Kendal‘s oldest religious site, dating from prehistoric times. The spring that feeds the well was probably a site of pagan worship. The water was thought to have miraculous healing powers
Even in the hottest summer, it has never run dry.
Over a thousand years ago, a hermit lived here, and later St. Mary’s Chantry was built around the 6th century until the Reformation, when the present parish church was built.
7) Grandy Nook
8) Kendal Castle
Kendal has the remains of two castles, both a short walk from the town centre.
The earliest castle was at Castle Howe, on the east side of Kendal, where the remains can be seen today. This ancient motte-and-bailey castle dates back to the late eleventh century.
The second castle on the west side of town was built in the early thirteenth century by the Sheriff of Lancaster. It was likely that both castles coexisted for a period of time.
Catherine Parr, the sixth wife of Henry VIII, was born in Kendal Castle.
9) Romney House
The portrait painter George Romney, 1734-1802, served his apprenticeship in Kendal to Christopher Steele in a studio in Redman’s Yard.
After seven years, he left for a career in London and became one of the foremost portrait painters of his day.
In 1799, ill health brought him back to his wife, who cared for him in this house until after his death.
Romney’s paintings can be seen in the Abbot Art Gallery and the mayor’s parlour in Kendal town hall.
10) Prince Charlie’s House
Built in 1690, this house was owned during the Stuart Rebellion of 1745 by Justice Thomas Shepherd.
It was slept in by ‘Bonnie Prince Charlie’ during his advance on London and again during his retreat when his pursuer, the Duke of Cumberland, slept in the same bed the following night!
In an exchange of fire with the retreating army, a highlander and a local farmer were shot.
Kendal’s Rich History
Kendal boasts a rich textile heritage, with 187 listed buildings that tell the story of its historic wool trade. The town’s famous historic yards were once vibrant communities where skilled craftspeople worked tirelessly in the woollen textile industry.
The Wool Trade Legacy
Packhorses would transport Kendal’s textiles across northern England, spreading the town’s reputation for quality cloth. The town’s very motto, “Pannus mihi panis” (Latin for “cloth is my bread”), perfectly captures the fundamental importance of the wool trade to Kendal’s economy and survival.
Industry and Community
By the early 17th century, Kendal had become a crucial textile centre, specialising in various cloth types including cotton, druggets, serges, and worsted stockings.
The town’s industrious people transformed wool into their primary source of prosperity, with the textile trade supporting thousands of men, women, and children.
Kendal’s wool industry wasn’t just an economic activity—it was the very lifeblood of the community, turning a small town into a significant regional economic powerhouse through centuries of dedicated craftsmanship.
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