Kendal

Kendal
	View of Kendal
Coordinates	54 ° 20 ′ N , 2 ° 45 ′ W Coordinates: 54 ° 20 ′ N , 2 ° 45 ′ W
	Kendal
	Kendal
Residents	28,030 (as of April 29, 2001)
administration
Post town	KENDAL
ZIP code section	LA9
prefix	01539
Part of the country	England
region	North West England
Shire county	Cumbria
District	South Lakeland
Civil Parish	Kendal
British Parliament	Westmorland and Lonsdale
Website: www.kendaltowncouncil.gov.uk

Kendal is a city in north west England . It was the largest town in the county of Westmorland , which became part of the newly formed county of Cumbria in 1974 . The city has 28,586 inhabitants (2011), is the administrative seat of the district of South Lakeland and lies on the River Kent . It gets its name from this river.

Kendal was an important market town for centuries. The city is the southern gateway to the Lake District and is connected to the rail network via the Windermere Line , which branches off the West Coast Main Line . There is a direct connection to the M6 Motorway .

In the Middle Ages, Kendal was famous for making woolen fabrics. The heavy “Kendal Green” was particularly famous as it was worn by archers in the wars with the French.

The ruins of Kendal Castle (12th century) look out over the town. Here was Catherine Parr , one of the wives of Henry VIII. , Was born.