Stepanovich Blog

Kendal is an ideal base when visiting the south and central Lakes also across to the western Lake District and even the Yorkshire Dales.

Kendal is the biggest town in the south and central Lakes area and has great transport links should you not have a car. The number 555 Stagecoach bus goes from Kendal town centre right up to Keswick along and operates and hourly service. The bus journey alone is worth going on as you pass Windermere, Ambleside, Grasmere, views towards Skiddaw and Helvellyn finally arriving at Keswick. In fact, the A591 was voted “Britain’s Best Road” by sat nav users last year. Oxenholme – The Lake District train station is just a few minutes from the centre of Kendal which is a West Coast Mainline stop. Trains to and from London, Glasgow and Edinburgh operate from here also a local service to Windermere via Kendal.

When staying in or around Kendal there are many places to that are worth a visit. The Kendal Museum and Abbot Hall Gallery are both excellent attractions with exhibitions changing regularly including work from local artists as well as Bridget Riley and Henry Moore. The local produce available in this area means there are a number of artisan producers and delis stocking food from around the region. The Cumberland sausage and Damson Gin really are worth a try!

The choice of accommodation is varied in Kendal from large and small hotels to self catering properties and some lovely Kendal Bed and Breakfast properties. Staying on the outskirts of Kendal is an excellent idea getting both the convenience to Kendal with all its amenities whilst staying in a quiet location.

Helsington is located just one mile from the centre of Kendal making it the perfect location to stay when visiting the “Auld Grey Town”. It is situated at the southern end of Kendal and is reached very easily from the main A591 road. Helsington has one of the prettiest churches in the south Lakes. Set on the side of a hill, the views from the church are magnificent. The Lyth Valley right round to Morecambe Bay can all be taken in.

As well as the church, Helsington Laithes Manor is another notable building. The original building is believed to date from the 13th Century, when the Manor of Helsington belonged to Margaret de Ros. The West end of the main block is of medieval origin, probably late 15th C. It is said to have a chapel with a pre? Reformation window. Helsington Manor was owned by Marmaduke de Thwenge. At his death in 1323 it passed to his son, William de Thwenge and in 1374 the property, in the estate of Thomas de Thwenge, passed to Robert de Lumley. The year 1511 brings the first reference to Helsington Laithes which passed to Sir George Lumley. The House then came into the hands of Henry VIII, who in 1539 leased it to Sir Thomas Seymour, for 21 years from Michaelmas 1540.

Situated in one of the most picturesque villages of the English Lake District, Norwood House, a small family run Ambleside guest house is surrounded by dramatic scenery and is only a short walk from the northern edge of Lake Windermere.

With this beautiful lake and the mountains at the doorstep, including Helvellyn, one of England’s highest peaks, there is always somewhere new to explore in this lovely region and you will never be short of something to do.

Your hosts, Keith and Lindsey Morgan, have been providing Ambleside bed and breakfast accommodation for over twelve years and will endeavour to make each and every guest’s stay  as comfortable and enjoyable as possible.

there are eight attractive and well appointed en-suite rooms. Visitors can choose from family, triple, twin, double or single with either a bath or shower room. Stylishly simple and tranquil, all eight en-suite rooms have been newly decorated to offer a comfortable, warm and relaxing place to unwind after a day’s activities.

Kendal is a market town situated just outside of the Lake District National Park with a wide range of activities on offer.

Kendal is right in the heart of South Lakeland so it is the perfect location as a base for walking, touring and enjoying the unique pleasures of the Lake District. The A591 dual carriageway means easy access to Kendal from the M6 motorway, just 8 miles. Continuing down the A591 and Windermere is only a further 8 miles and just 4 miles on is Ambleside. A Kendal B&B is the perfect location for exploring not just the Lake District but also the Yorkshire Dales and Cumbrian coastline.

There are some great local walks in Kendal and some brilliant ones for low level walkers. A very popular walk is up to the observation point on Scout Scar where there is a 360 degree panorama with the Lake District fells to the north and Morecambe Bay to the south. Walking is not the only activity. Kendal has a climbing wall, a swimming pool, two golf courses and driving ranges. Kendal Golf course is on the side of Kendal Fell with some of the best views from a golf course in the UK.

Kendal itself is a bustling market town full of good shopping from big names to local speciality businesses and luckily, there is a good choice of Kendal bed and breakfast venues to stay in. The market in Kendal, held on a Wednesday and Saturday, attracts many visitors and also now a monthly farmers market. Kendal has a large number of shops and delis supplying local produce and these are growing year by year.  

There are lots of cultural accents in Kendal. The nationally acclaimed Brewery Arts Centre features live drama, music, film, dance and art exhibitions. In fact, Kendal has an excellent artist community with many local artist exhibitions at The Brewery. The Abbot Hall Art Gallery, situated on the banks of the River Kent, has exhibitions from influential artists such as Frank Auerbach and David Bomberg.

Kendal is famous for Kendal mint cake and snuff. Snuff making in Kendal has been operational since 1792 and holds a lot of history in the area. It is still made in Kendal today by two companies which both stem from the originator of snuff making in Kendal. Mint cake is also still made in Kendal by three companies all of which with a long heritage, a combined trading time of over 300 years.

Finally, Kendal also offers Kendal accommodation for business travellers. Kendal is home to offices of national and multinational companies such as Lowe Alpine, The North Face and Furmanite.

There are over 80 bodies of water in the Lake District National Park which includes the largest, Windermere to the small tarns such as Angle Tarn.

There is in fact only one piece of water that is officially a lake and that is Bassenthwaite Lake 3 miles from Keswick. All the other bodies of water are either a “mere” or “water” for example Windermere and Ullswater or a tarn which means a small body of water.

There are 20 major lakes of which the largest and busiest is Windermere. Windermere is a thriving tourist destination with an excellent choice of Windermere bed and breakfast venues but there are many Windermere hotels available as well. Windermere the town is located 1.5 miles from the lake but Bowness-on-Windermere sits right by the lake swarming with boats, tourists and tours. At nearly 11 miles long, Windermere can fit a lot on it including 14 islands. The speed limit of 10 miles per hour maximum has caused some controversy but of course it has also pleased some people. Another very fascinating fact is that in the heavy rain of January 2005, Windermere rose by nearly a meter overnight. That equates to an extra seventeen thousand litres of water!

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