Just north of Kendal is Selside. It is a farming area set in rolling hilly countryside with a population of around 200.
There are many scattered farms and cottages some dating back centuries. One such is Selside Hall.
Selside Hall dates back to the 13th-Century. It has two pele towers added in the 15th & 16th centuries. The oldest part of the building has walls four feet thick!
It was originally owned by a family with the same name – Selside. Around the time of Richard II (1377-1399), it came by marriage, to the Thornburghs who came from Yorkshire. The Thornburgh family were in possession of the hall until 1774.
Selside has a small primary school and church.
The original primary school was built on land with money given by John Kitching in 1730. It is now a private residence.
St Thomas’s church overlooks Selside Hall. The churchyard is surrounded by yew trees, snowdrops and daffodils.
Watchgate Water Treatment Plant is tucked away on the old Roman road. It was built in 1972 and is the biggest water treatment plant in Europe. It draws water from Windermere, Haweswater, Ullswater, and Thirlmere. It supplies a large area covering Manchester to Barrow
