Kendal Hotels - Smooth Hound Hotel Directory

Kendal, located in Cumbria, is a traditional market town which is commonly known as the Gateway to the Lakes due to its proximity to the Lake District. The town is a relaxing picturesque getaway that offers ample shopping and dining opportunities. While in Kendal, be sure to visit the Brewery Arts Centre as well as the Kendal Parish Church. Of course, you may also want to make a trip to the lakes as well. If you are in the mood for a hike, a trip of Scout Scar may also be in order. There are numerous museums to visit in Kendal as well.

Kendal is a town just outside the English Lake District and is the third largest town in Cumbria, with a population of slightly less than 30,000 people. Kendal is often referred to as the Gateway to the Lakes. It is also the home of the famous Kendal Mint Cake, which is often used by mountaineers and hill walkers to provide them with extra energy, including the team led by Edmund Hillary when they made their successful ascent of Mount Everest and also Ernest Shackleton's Trans-Antarctic expedition.

Kendal was mentioned in the Domesday Book and later became a market town. Its roots are still evident in the various streets that surround the town centre. There are also several ruined castles to remind you of days gone by, including Kendal castle itself which still has some of its original stonework for you to explore.

The town has a long established Natural History Museum which also has exhibits showing how the Lake District was formed as well as a stuffed polar bear. Elsewhere in the town, the Lakeland Life museum takes a look at life in the area over the last few hundred years and has a mixture of static displays as well as numerous events, workshops and other activities to help bring the area's history to life.

At the heart of Kendal is the Westmorland shopping centre, which gives visitors plenty of shops to choose from, including several that can only be found in the centre itself.