Discover Kendal: Art, History and Distinctive City Experiences

Kendal combines art, history and a range of options for a varied stay. Abbot Hall, historic yards, a castle on a glacial hill, markets and paths along the Canal Towpath give the town a diverse character. When choosing a holiday apartment in Kendal, you can therefore consider whether culture, historical exploration, market visits, rail connections or time outdoors should be the focus of your trip.

Art, Cinema and Music on the River Kent

Abbot Hall is a Grade I listed Georgian art gallery in Kendal on the banks of the River Kent. This makes it a notable cultural destination for visitors who want to combine their stay with art and a distinctive historic building. Abbot Hall Park also has a children’s playground, an open lawn and a Crown green bowling area. You can take these different elements into account separately when planning your day or treat them as different activities.

Brewery Arts is both a cinema, a live arts venue and a centre for creative learning. Its live music programme includes contemporary, indie, folk, world, blues, jazz and electronica. Those looking for a cultural evening experience will therefore find a different offering here than in a gallery or on a historical walking tour. This variety makes Kendal appealing for travel plans in which every day does not have to follow the same pattern.

Castle, Museum and Historic Yards

Kendal Castle was built around 1200 on a drumlin, a glacial hill. Visitors can explore the ruins on foot and listen to an audio trail during their walk around the castle. This combines visible history with an independent way of exploring, without limiting your stay to a single museum experience.

Kendal Museum was founded in 1796 and is one of the oldest museums in the United Kingdom. Its collections include natural history, archaeology, geology and a herbarium; it also houses Europe’s largest collection of taxidermy specimens. Collin Croft and Kendal’s historic yards offer another way to discover the town’s history. Collin Croft is the best-preserved of the historic yards and has a covered staircase leading back to the High Street. The eighteenth-century yards supported the rise of local businesses through housing, industry and workshops, particularly in the wool trade. Visitors can explore them away from the High Street.

Church, Markets and Waterside Paths

Today’s Kendal Parish Church dates from the early thirteenth century; it is believed that a church has stood on this site since Saxon times. It has five naves and is one of the United Kingdom’s “Great Churches”. The church also contains a fragment of an Anglo-Saxon cross dating from around AD 850. These traces reaching far back through time add another historical perspective to a walk around the town.

Kendal’s markets have a market charter dating from 1189 and continue to take place weekly. Kendal Farmers Market is held on the last Friday of each month, where local farmers sell their own organic vegetables and organic meat. If you would like to include regional produce and local traditions in your trip, these dates may play a role in your planning. For a more leisurely change of pace, the Kendal to Lancaster Canal Towpath Trail is suitable for paddling, walking and picnicking.

Getting There and Choosing the Right Location for Your Accommodation

Kendal railway station is on the Lakes Line and only a short walk from the town centre. Kendal’s nearest mainline station is Oxenholme – The Lake District; it is connected to Kendal via the Lakes Line. When choosing your accommodation, you can therefore first decide which elements of the trip are especially important to you: travelling by train, historic city experiences, a market date, cultural events or time on the Canal Towpath. A holiday apartment in Kendal can thus be tailored to your preferred travel rhythm, without requiring you to commit to a single itinerary.

If you would like to supplement your travel planning with additional location pages, you can find Holmrook, Staveley, Bassenthwaite, Scotby, Ambleside, Crosthwaite, Rusland and Newby Bridge here.

For the overarching travel overview: Cumbria.