10 Historical Kendal Buildings:
1) Sandes Hospital
Thomas Sandes (1606-81) a cloth merchant and former Mayor of Kendal, founded a school and eight almshouses for poor widows.
The yard contains small houses for eight widows and, in the yard entrance is an old begging box for contributions to the poor old ladies.
The gatehouse, once the master’s house, has single-storey wings and housed the school and library in the chamber over the gateway.
The houses were rebuilt in 1852 by Kendal architect Miles Thompson. In 1886 the school merged with Kendal Grammar School which was succeeded in 1980 by Kirkbie Kendal School whose Trustees still own the property.
2) Holy Trinity Church
Holy Trinity Church is Kendal’s oldest building. Dedicates 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 the13th-century. They were all re-modelled in the perpendicular style when the church was enlarged with the outer aisles in the 15th and 16th-centuries.
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 since 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 here 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 on the following night!
In an exchange of fire with the retreating army, a highlander and a local farmer were shot.
