Kendal

Kendal, once Kirkby in Kendal or Kirkby Kendal, is a <a href="/facts/Market_town/gLsYmDe6">market town</a> and <a href="/facts/Civil_parish/4GuHX8Wm">civil parish</a> in the unitary authority of <a href="/facts/Westmorland_and_Furness/MQhqoKoY">Westmorland and Furness</a>, England. It lies within the <a href="/facts/River_Kent/RJYT0BKX">River Kent</a>'s dale, from which its name is derived, just outside the boundary of the <a href="/facts/Lake_District_National_Park/FKpmtrzl">Lake District National Park</a>.
In the <a href="/facts/Domesday_Book/zTlp51pg">Domesday Book</a> of 1086, the area was collected under <a href="/facts/Yorkshire/jE4s4LNG">Yorkshire</a>. The area came under the <a href="/facts/Honour_of_Lancaster/PmVnMP63">Honour of Lancaster</a> before the barony split. The town became the <a href="/facts/Barony_of_Kendal/CqbvWg2a">Barony of Kendal</a>'s seat, in 1226/7 this barony merged with the <a href="/facts/Barony_of_Westmorland/XxRB4x3N">Barony of Westmorland</a> to form the historic county of <a href="/facts/Westmorland/NsLSHvYY">Westmorland</a> with <a href="/facts/Appleby-in-Westmorland/zWpcw2JB">Appleby</a> as the historic <a href="/facts/County_town/gM2KhpBd">county town</a>. In 1889, Kendal became the county town. Under the 1974 reforms, it became the administrative centre of the <a href="/facts/South_Lakeland/vpLbs2fT">South Lakeland</a> district. The town became Westmorland and Furness district's administrative centre in a 2023 reform.
It is 8 miles (13 km) south-east of <a href="/facts/Windermere%2c_Cumbria_(town)/eNb14f3V">Windermere</a> and 19 miles (31 km) north of <a href="/facts/Lancaster%2c_Lancashire/2roYbFnp">Lancaster</a>. At the <a href="/facts/2011_United_Kingdom_census/0DyzduMs">2011 census</a>, the town had a population of 28,586, making it the second largest town in Westmorland and Furness after <a href="/facts/Barrow-in-Furness/ndD6hSvE">Barrow-in-Furness</a>. As of the 2021 Census, its population was 29,593. It is renowned today mainly as a centre for shopping, for its festivals and historic sights, including <a href="/facts/Kendal_Castle/Rm5khD5K">Kendal Castle</a>, and as the home of <a href="/facts/Kendal_Mint_Cake/JxF1Q5np">Kendal Mint Cake</a>. The town's grey <a href="/facts/Limestone/8ntvtFnR">limestone</a> buildings have earned it the sobriquet "Auld Grey Town".

Kendal open-in-new

Kendal