Longsleddale
Longsleddale is one of those Lakeland valleys that most people don’t realise is there.
It is the most easterly of the major valleys of Lakeland, located 4 miles north of Kendal near Garnett Bridge.
It is one of the Lake District’s quieter valleys, perhaps due to the very narrow access roads.
It is a sparsely populated valley, just like its neighbour, Kentmere. This narrow valley is threaded by a wiggly lane that stretches for 8 miles and preserves a wonderful, unspoilt feel.
Its remote seclusion leaves it untainted by tourism or, for that matter, commercialism.
Unusually, the valley has neither a pub nor a shop along its length.
There is still the practising Church of St. Mary, with the old school across the road, which closed in 1946.
Both the church and the school were rebuilt in 1863 by Mrs Howard of Levens Hall, who was the ‘lady of the manor’ at that time.
Furthermore, the valley is an oasis of pastoral tranquillity amidst inhospitable fells.
The valley looks just as it would have centuries ago, following the course of the River Sprint, which joins the Kent to flow through Kendal.
Additionally, it was once an important packhorse route travelling between Scotland and the south, or towards the west.
A petition for a bridge at Sadgill was made in 1717 to allow the river to be crossed when in spate.
Finally, after 8 miles, the narrow road peters out and is as far as you can go by car.
Here, there are a mere building or two with a scattering of farms in the whole valley.
The head of the valley above Sadgill is wild and lonely, with broken crags on both sides.
Although untouched by commercialism, one point to note is that Longsleddale was the inspiration for Greendale, the fictional home of Postman Pat and his black and white cat.
Thirteen episodes were originally written in five weeks for the BBC by John Cunliffe (1933-2018), a primary school teacher at Castle Park School, Kendal, for six years. Still, he had also been a travelling librarian in Northumberland.
Names were often taken from the Westmorland phone book for his books. Bullied as a child, John invented a village where people were happy and no bullying occurred.
If you are looking for a holiday cottage with easy access to Longsleddale, enquire here.
