Welcome to Skipton

Welcome to Skipton
Situated on the edge of the beautiful Yorkshire Dales National Park, Skipton has long been known as the ‘Gateway to the Dales’and provided a popular place for tourists to visit and start their exploration of the Dales.
Skipton’s unique appeal lies in its happy marriage of olde-worlde charm and the hustle and bustle of a living market town which has evolved naturally over the centuries and consequently retained its many historic features. So while planners were knocking the heart out of many other provincial towns, Skipton remained intact and now provides a refreshing counterpoint to the artificially themed shopping malls offered elsewhere.
With its market, medieval castle, canal and thriving shops, pubs and cafes, Skipton provides something for the whole family. Wander down the many alleyways, or ‘ginnels’, to savour the town’s history and character; explore the side streets where you will find interesting shops, cafes and restaurants; visit the canal area with its boats, footpaths, and picnic areas; then you’ll discover why Skipton is one of the most popular destinations for visitors in the north.

On the Trail Skipton is not just a pretty town, it also possesses some pretty interesting history. Take any trail or guided tour and you will be surprised by the rich blend of events that have occurred in Craven’s fair capital over a thousand years and more.
Skipton Castle, fully roofed and listed as one of the finest examples of its kind in the North, was once home to the Cliffords - powerful warlords influential at the courts of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I.
King Henry decreed that the son of his life long friend Henry Clifford, Earl of Cumberland, should marry the King’s niece. Lady Eleanor Brandon. Eleanor lived with her husband, the second earl, at Skipton Castle, when, at the age of 26, she died in his arms. Had there been a son, he would have become the next monarch after Elizabeth I.
Next door to the castle is the 14th Century Holy Trinity Church where rests the illustrious Eleanor Brandon, along with five earls of Cumberland, two further countesses and four children. The memorial of third earl George Clifford is particularly striking, designed by the greatest of all of the Cliffords, Lady Anne, self-styled ‘Queen of the North’.
Join the Springs Branch canal behind the castle for a leafy walk through Skipton Woods, once a Victorian promenade, which takes you on a circular walk round some beautiful scenery under the spectacular cliff on top of which sits Skipton Castle. You return via Chapel Hill, where, on the corner of Raikes Road, John Wesley gave a powerful sermon on the doorstep of what is now the Wright Wine Company.
In 2000 Skipton opened its Millennium Walk which takes you past not only the main sights of the town but also a little off the beaten track to some lesser known but fascinating nooks and crannies of Skipton. This is a two hour walk and a book detailing the historical aspects of this route or a leaflet setting out the footpath and the main points of interest can be bought from the Tourist Information Centre.

For more details of walks around the town visit theTourist Information Centre on Coach Street, map ref. B2 or tel. 01756 792809.

Shopping in Skipton Skipton’s wide High Street, recently named the best in the UK 2009, has always been the focal point for shopping in the town but why not follow our shopping trail which leads you past some of the most interesting independent retailers in the country not to mention tempting eating houses and coffee shops to refresh mind and body?
It starts at the southerly end of the High Street (heading towards the church). At the bottom of the High Streetthe road dividesto create Sheep Street, a little cobbled street with lots of small interesting shops. The old town hall was here and, underneath, Skipton’s old prison. Don’t forget to turn off into Victoria Square or you’ll miss some delightful shops.
Return to the High Street and continue up towards the church and castle. There’s a Rackham’s department store on your right and just before David Goldie’s Mens and Ladies Outdoor Country Clothing Shop on your left you will find the Archway to Mount Pleasant. At the top of the high street turn left over the canal bridge and you pass a Skipton institution Stanforth’s Pie Shop. Across the road is Chapel Hill, a beautiful little corner and the oldest part of the town. There are some high class shops here such as theWright Wine Company, The Home Company and The Little Flowerpot Company.
Back over the road from Chapel Hill and you are on Water Street with its fine bakery and chocolatier at the top and plenty of interesting shops to explore. Turn left again and you are on Coach Street. Take care over the hump-back canal bridge and then a whole range of shops suddenly appears before you. Canny Skiptonians know that this is the place to find that unusual gift at a bargain price.
Turn left at the end and you are on busy Swadford Street where you will find Specsavers and a range of other shops. Here four busy trunk roads meet but a century ago the corner was even narrower, barely 20 feet wide. Imagine the chaos that would cause today. This is where John Spencer was born. The name might mean little to you but his company will - Marks and Spencer. There is now a new Marks and Spencer Food Store located behind theTown hall.
If you continue along the highway you enter Newmarket Street, the old Roman road to the east. Here Skipton Building Society was formed in one of the small shops on the left hand side. Take the first road left, up Court Lane and turn left at the top. You can make your way back to the High Street either through Craven Court, an award winning shopping centre based on the old back streets and alleyways, or by Otiey Street. Or why not head backand do both streets? -They are both full of fascinating shops which will make your shopping trip to Skipton both memorable and worthwhile.

Article from issue 28 Oct/Nov 09. To order this issue go to the Northern Life online store.

Love Keighley

Love
Keighley
There are exciting times ahead for the bustling town of Keighley. Already a force to be reckoned with its recession-busting shopping centre is attracting new fans all the time – and Keighley Town Centre Association is working hard to spread the ‘good news’.
A thriving shopping venue, it includes a wealth of independent shops, a gorgeous old-fashioned shopping arcade of specialist boutiques, as well as a modern shopping centre with leading high street stores. It is also home to The Store, which helps people who want to test out the market place.
A master plan, developed by Bradford Council and other local organisations including the Airedale Partnership, set up to support and regenerate the local economy, aims to improve the town’s reputation even further.
The latest news is the £2million English Heritage grant to improve the townscape. Robert Brough, regeneration projects officer at Airedale Partnership explained: ‘We have some beautiful Edwardian architecture in Keighley which we’re always too busy to notice as we hurry past with our noses to the ground. To appreciate the town’s beauty you have to look up! The plan is to restore some of the old buildings and improve the public realm. ‘The council’s conservation team have been the main drivers of the project and there’s still some additional funding to apply for and plans to put in place before work can begin,’ he said.
Improvements at Keighley Market have seen a new £500,000 frontage including new units for start-up businesses.
At the other side of the town centre the new ASDA store has opened its doors and is providing a whole new shopping experience for many – and it has also provided much needed jobs for local people. Just across the road, work on the new college, alongside the railway station, is also forging ahead.
Construction work at the new Keighley Campus of Leeds City College has been ranked in the UK’s top two per cent for the considerate way it has been carried out. Leeds-based BAM Construction was praised by independent assessors, the Considerate Constructors Scheme, who visited over 1000 sites across the UK every month.
They scored the company’s management of the site at 37.5 out of a possible 40, achieving exceptional status and placing it in the top two per cent of all UK sites. Maximum marks were given for the environmental measures at the College’s new facilities.
BAM has recycled over 95% of materials and waste, and also measures carbon emissions and conducts energy audits, segregates waste, has advanced technology for preventing water pollution, and has a plant designed to minimise the noise for neighbours. It also uses several water and light saving devices.

The CCS inspection report also praised BAM’s use of local subcontractors and materials on site. Jason Pink, BAM’s project manager, said: “During the life of this project over 1000 workers will have been on site. When possible we like to use local workers because a construction project can often be a significant source of local employment and greatly benefit the local economy.”
Andy Allison, Director of Estates at Leeds City College Keighley Campus, said: “On behalf of Leeds City College I would like to congratulate Jason and all his colleagues at BAM Construction for this tremendous performance. This outcome reflects the supremely professional approach to the new college campus project by Jason and the whole BAM team, and is a case study in how a major project can be managed with the minimum impact on and maximum benefit to the local community.” BAM completes the College in December 2009. Consultations are taking place to review the existing college site on Cavendish Street. ‘We want and need an inspirational development there because it’s right in the centre of town,’ says Robert Brough. ‘The project will help set the tone for Keighley’

Robert is hoping for a mixed-use development. ‘I’d like to see something like a good quality hotel being included because I think it’s one of the things we lack at the moment and would help us in terms of tourism,’ he added. Although the national news has been full of stories of shops closing and areas becoming ‘ghost towns’ Keighley is thriving with new shops opening their doors and new customers discovering the town for the first time.
And once they have discovered the delights of Keighley they keep coming back. “We have seen 20 new businesses open so far this year across the town and there were actually fewer empty shops in the first eight months of this year than in the same period last year,” said Town Centre Manager, Philip Smith. The ‘Love Keighley’ campaign has played a big part in raising the town’s profile across the region, with a traditional red ‘London’ bus carrying the message to towns and cities. It also gave the town a Media boost with extensive coverage in newspapers, on TV, radio and in magazines.
And the campaign has entered a new phase with a specially designed ‘Love Keighley Train’ running on routes across the north of England. Named Ian Dewhirst, after the local historian, the Northern Rail unit carries a design wrap promoting images of Keighley. Mr Dewhirst said “I was stopped in the street and told by someone from the town centre association they wanted to name a train after me,” he said. “I was very flattered and said yes. I feel honoured. I started out giving local history talks and never ever thought I would have an engine named after me. It’s a big bonus after all these years. Others are also supporting Keighley. A recent poll showed local shoppers had been joined by visitors from across the wider Bradford district, visitors were being attracted from the Halifax and Huddersfield areas of Calderdale and there were even shoppers who regularly made the journey from Staffordshire to visit Keighley’s market.

Right across the town there are good news stories from retail businesses. Keighley’s mix of big-name High Street stores and friendly family owned businesses is the key to its success. “We will continue to work hard to make further improvements to the town centre and give a helping hand to local businesses. Everyone is working together to give the town a boost – and it is paying off despite the recession,” said Philip Smith.
A Buy Local initiative to support local businesses has so far seen shop window display competitions, welcome messages appearing across town on banners and in shop windows, empty units being used as low cost advertising opportunities and ‘thank you’ cards being given to shoppers to thank them for visiting the town.
The town has been a blaze of colour throughout the year and has won much praise from locals and visitors alike. Hanging baskets, barrier baskets, and border and roundabout displays have been provided by the Keighley in Bloom Partnership with local schools competing to produce border designs. The town has also entered Yorkshire in Bloom again this year.
Signs that the town is fighting against the downturn are everywhere. The new-look Church Green is fast becoming the heart of the community, with events taking place including a monthly farmers market. This runs on the third Sunday of each month between 9.00am and 1.00pm. Look out for the Fresh & Organic Farmers’ Market in October with a Curry Cookery Demonstration and featuring music from the Urban Gypsies.
Also in October visit the popular Oktoberfest between the 15th and 17th which this year as well as regular stalls offering food and goods, features an arts and crafts fair.
The Halloween season this year sees ‘Spooky Suppers - A Night of Thrills & Chills’ at East Riddlesden Hall on the 24th and 31st.
Christmas in Keighley this year will start on the 19th November with the Christmas Lights switch on which will feature the Pulse road show, an 80 strong choir providing Christmas music and a Dickensian themed evening, with the lights being switched on at 6.30pm by Santa himself.
From late November and throughout December the popular Santa Specials will run on the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway. These are extremely popular and need to be booked early.
December sees a Fresh & Organic Christmas Market followed at 2.00pm by the annual Civic Carol Service which attracts large numbers of people and will be held on Church Green, outside the parish church, for the first time since its inception.
Other events in the area include Oh... Whistle !, Ghostly Tales of Mr James at East Riddlesden Hall – Keighley’s National Trust property.

Article from issue 28 Oct/Nov 09. To order this issue go to the Northern Life online store.

Historic Harrogate

Fabulous shopping, café culture, fine cuisine, glorious gardens, a reputation for style, graceful architecture and a glamorous heritage as a classic European spa town - Harrogate’s charm is irresistible.

Experience some of Harrogate’s spa heritage first hand by spending the recommended two and a half hours enjoying a traditional spa therapy at the Turkish Baths and Health Spa.The beautifully restored colourful Victorian interior is the perfect place to forget the stresses of the modern world.Work your way through the Tepidarium, Calidarium and Laconium hot rooms, refresh your senses with a dip in the plunge pool and rest in the Relaxation Room before leaving feeling refreshed and invigorated.You can also choose from a wonderful range of spa treatments in the Health Spa.Why not book yourself in for a pampering beauty treatment or a relaxing complementary therapy like reflexology or massage?

Harrogate is a fantastic place for a spot of retail therapy. Exclusive boutiques, independent fashion stores and favourite high street names ensure you will be spoilt for choice. Browse the stylish arcades, indoor shopping centre, chic shopping streets and elegant mews. Farrah’s Food Hall is one of the fantastic food emporiums and delicatessens in the town. Farrah’s has a long association with Harrogate and their ‘Harrogate Toffee’ has been made here since 1840. Originally made to take away the nasty taste of the sulphur water the toffee has been a favourite with queen’s, princesses, aristocrats and Prime Ministers and HM the Queen is said to be an admirer! For farm fresh food head to Weetons, voted Best Rural Shop 2006 (awarded by the Countryside Alliance). For linens and interiors visit one of Harrogate’s oldest shops, Wood of Harrogate awarded a Best of British Award for Britain’s Best Specialist Shop 2006 by Period Living Magazine.
No trip to Harrogate would be complete without a trip to Bettys. The world famous café is one of Harrogate’s finest and is the perfect place for some afternoon indulgence. Try a ‘fat rascal’ made to a traditional Yorkshire recipe or treat yourself to luxurious handmade chocolates, gorgeous cakes and teas and coffees from around the world.
Flowers are always in bloom in Harrogate - a Europe in Bloom winning town. Enjoy exquisite and stunning gardens, beautiful floral displays and green lawns including the 200 acre ‘Stray’ that surrounds the town. Take a walk through the lush Valley Gardens, stroll through the sun colonnade or up through the pinewoods, listen to the brass band at one of the summer concerts and relax with a picnic in lovely surroundings. The gardens are Grade II listed and are one of television gardener Alan Titchmarsh’s favourite public gardens. Set in stunning, peaceful surroundings is the superb RHS Garden Harlow Carr, one of Yorkshire’s most relaxing yet inspiring locations. Spectacular new herbaceous borders, streamside garden, woodland and wildflower meadow, kitchen garden and the new ‘Gardens Through Time’, Plant Centre, Gift Shop and Bettys Café & Shop.

Discover stories about Harrogate’s past including how Harrogate became a famous spa town, curious connections with the Russian royal family, the mysterious disappearance of Agatha Christie in 1926, weird and wonderful equipment used in spa treatments in days gone by and don’t forget to try a taste of the smelly sulphur water, all at the Royal Pump Room Museum.The Museum is built over Harrogate’s famous sulphur well and the building is a Harrogate landmark.

Harrogate also has some superb independent contemporary and fine art and craft galleries. Visitors are also attracted by the town’s status as the ‘Antiques Centre of the North’ and there is a busy calendar of antique fairs. Collectors will not be disappointed with the range of antique shops and dealers selling everything from glitzy costume jewellery and silver to colourful ceramics, fine art and timeless pieces of furniture. Enjoy an exciting range of theatrical productions at Harrogate Theatre and at Harrogate International Centre, one of Europe’s leading conference and exhibition venues. See performances from worldclass musicians and stand up comedy to ballet and pop concerts.

You’ll eat very well in Harrogate. Stylish restaurants serve everything from spicy world cuisine to tempting traditional food. Chill out at cosmopolitan bars and cafes, enjoy alfresco dining, romantic meals, indulgent afternoon cream teas and mouth-watering cakes at one of the many tearooms.

Get out and about and discover more on Harrogate’s doorstep.Visit the World Heritage site of Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Water Garden, one of the National Trust’s most popular attractions. Sample some traditional Yorkshire beer at the Black Sheep and Theakston Breweries and Visitor Centres in Masham and go back in time at Ripley Castle and Newby Hall. Ripon is one of Britain’s oldest cities and the fascinating Yorkshire Law and Order Museums are based here and the nightly ritual of ‘setting the watch’ still continues every night in the market place. One of the best views in Yorkshire is from the grounds of Knaresborough’s medieval castle and the town overlooking the river Nidd, viaduct and surrounding countryside. Enjoy idyllic riverside walks, go boating on the river and explore this picturesque medieval market town.

Perfect Padiham

Visitors to Padiham may be drawn by the lure of its surrounding countryside or the charm of the fast flowing waters of the Calder. If honest they may even confess that it's the culinary reputation that the towns eateries and café bars are courting, but they may be surprised to learn that whilst there is a lot going on here now, there has been for some time, centuries even!

Any historic account of Padiham will note that the town has for centuries been a market town, where produce from Pendleside was bought and sold. Though today, visitors to the town may not be aware of just how long that trading tradition has been going on, so just ask any local who will be more than proud to tell you that the town dates back to at least the 11th Century - if not before. The clue they tell us is in the name - Padiham, often spelt in the past as Padingham or Padyngham, is old English - clearly suggesting that the town was in existence well before the Norman Conquest. It is widely believed that the name actually derives from an Anglo-Saxon Chieftain called Padda, who set up his home and community on a hill beside the River Calder. In time Padda’s ham become Padiham. But other than lending his name, it was not Padda that would be remembered for shaping the history of this East Lancashire town but the two great estates of the Shuttleworth’s at Gawthorpe Hall and the Starkies of Huntroyde. Both family seats can still be seen today although it is Gawthorpe Hall, now a National Trust property, which is likely to be more widely known amongst the town’s visitors. It was in 1388 that Ughtred de Shuttleworth acquired lands on the banks of the River Calder, holdings that included a pele tower, a necessary lookout to defend against the marauding Scots.Whilst this may seem surprising today - one of the most famous Scottish incursions took place after the Battle of Bannockburn, when the Scots under Robert the Bruce ransacked and pillaged homes along the banks of the River Ribble, from Preston to Clitheroe.

It was Ughtred’s acquisition of these lands that began a relationship with the area and placed the Shuttleworth’s in residence for hundreds of years. The pele tower itself was later incorporated in to the design for Gawthorpe Hall, which was constructed in the 1600’s, from Padiham quarried Sandstone. With such proximity to the town, Gawthorpe was set to influence the areas fortunes for many centuries. The Padiham witch Margaret Pearson, was arrested in 1612 by the local constable, employed by the Gawthorpe estate. Pearson, charged with bewitching a horse, was taken to Lancaster Castle to stand trial along with the notorious witches of Pendle. She of course did not attain quite the same notoriety as these Pendle folk - all famously hanged - whilst she was sentenced to be pilloried on four successive market days at Padiham, Clitheroe, Whalley and Lancaster before commencing a year in jail.

Padihamers had even greater cause for concern in the years that followed. At the outbreak of the Civil War, Gawthorpe was home to Richard Shuttleworth, formerly High Sheriff of Lancashire and then serving as the Member of Parliament for Preston. Richard was one of a special commission that organised Lancashire for war against the King and was made a Colonel of Cromwell’s roundhead army; a position that meant Gawthorpe became a regular meeting place for the parliamentarian leaders and their forces. Richard won a critical victory during the civil war when he led a group of 400 local militia to victory against 4000 royalist troops at Read Bridge. In the process saving both Padiham and Gawthorpe from possible capture as the royalists were said to be marching toward Padiham at the time.

As the other prominent family within the area the Starkies also played an influential role in the areas civil war struggles. When Sir Gilbert Hoghton of Hoghton Tower and his royalist troops moved against Blackburn, having taken Whalley, Colonel Shuttleworth of Gawthorpe Hall and Colonel Starkie of Huntroyde together raised a force of 8,000 and routed the king’s supporters.T he following year, after parliament’s forces attacked Preston, Colonel Starkie laid siege to and took Hoghton Tower itself. Time passed a little more quietly over the following few hundred years and by the mid 1800’s both Huntroyde and Gawthorpe Hall were extended and renovated. The works at Gawthorpe are described as being sympathetic to its Elizabethan style and were carried out by leading architect of the day Sir Charles Barry who was famed for his design of the Houses of Parliament. Once again during this period the Shuttleworth’s influence upon Padiham is evident - Gawthorpe Street, itself in Padiham - has been described as more reminiscent of a Cornish fishing village. It is believed that the cottages in this street were also designed by Sir Charles.
Other houses nearby in the town also bear the Shuttleworth Coat-of- Arms.

Whilst the influence of these two family seats on the lives of Padihamers cannot be denied it was to be the onset of the industrial revolution that was to truly change the face of this market town.With the fast flowing River Calder, the streams that fed it, and what at times seemed like an endless supply of coal beneath its foundation, the town had the resources it needed. First water, then steam could power the areas textile industry. Local historians though reflect that despite this revolution, Padiham has proved lucky.The character of many historic towns was often destroyed by the process of industrialisation - but not Padiham, though the town’s character was not saved by any intention of the towns’ industrial fathers but through an accident of geography. The growing industry of this steam driven age favoured the flat land laid out on either side of the River Calder as opposed to the hilly lanes where the town had grown up.

Today this means that Padiham retains a distinct street pattern with narrow winding lanes and cobbled alleyways and forgotten corners all reminiscent of a bygone time.Whilst other towns have been left with a Victorian legacy of rigid grid-iron streets, Padiham can boast a character unique amongst Lancashire’s post industrial towns.The same local historians that remark at this accident of geography and planning remark that this is also why Padiham still looks and feels different from other towns!

This happy accident has also meant that the town’s central core has been awarded special status as a conservation area in a move, which sought to protect its unique charm and identity.
As we enter the 21st Century there are also plans afoot to reclaim much of that riverside industrial land, to reclaim it from its earlier use and to return to it the charm and identity that the central historic core still boasts. The proposed Linear Park is one such example where the former railway line will be developed for use by walkers, cyclists and horse riders and will connect to Padihams ‘Green Flag’ Memorial Park as well as a number of the areas great cycling and walking routes that are already being enjoyed today. It is perhaps fitting that the regeneration of this market town, where produce from Pendleside was bought and sold, is being spearheaded by Padiham’s award and recognition of ‘Market Town’ status, one of only 5 towns awarded funding under the initiative within Lancashire.As a result, in 2001, Padiham was successful in its £1 million bid to the North West Development Agency (NWDA) to support projects that will breathe new life in to the area and help Padiham and the surrounding villages to reinvigorate there economies. Whilst many voluntary, community and business groups have already benefited from the funding it is improvements within the town centre that will be most obvious to the town’s visitors. Public realm improvements and a face-lift to the ‘classic revival style’ town hall are matched with new frontages to many of the high street shops.All signs that this is a town with something to say, a town on its way back up.
The NWDA market town funding has already helped to make Padiham an attractive and accessible place to work, live, visit and do business - through its enhancement of more attractive retail premises and a more vibrant shopping environment. Always proud though, Padihamers will remind you that this is a town of independent retailers, the supermarket giants have not been let in on the secret and traditional butchers, bakers, though unfortunately not candlestick makers abound. This retail offering stretches almost from the gates of Gawthorpe Hall itself down toward the River Calder and the Hapton turning, where Sherry’s Towel Mill has always been a draw for the towns’ visitors, before ascending the hill to the conservation area around St. Leonard’s Church.

It is in the shadow of St. Leonard’s that the other draw for visitors becomes apparent, food - perhaps Padiham, learning the lesson of other destinations, has decided that if you cook it they will come! Padiham now has a very respectable culinary offering which has led to calls for a food and drink festival of its own to both champion regional cuisine and rival the offerings of other Lancashire towns. Starting at the top of the town, on the approach road from Whalley and Clitheroe, visitors will encounter the locally renowned Italian restaurant ‘Mama Mia’s at Crossways’ which offers the opportunity to dine Al Fresco on its terraces in the summer months. Before encountering the more traditional A la Carte and family owned restaurant, the Cellar House, beautifully set within a 16th Century Coaching House.

Directly within the shadow of St. Leonard’s however are the towns’ newest additions, the Fat Giraffe opened in April 2005 whilst the present owners of the Cornerhouse set up in April 2006.With both eateries espousing Coffee Cool and traditional food with a modern twist, it is no accident that a website dedicated to food lovers has described this area as up-and-coming.The Fat Giraffe recently hit the headlines when Chef and joint owner James Wilson was recognised as the ‘Best New Entrant to the Industry’ in the ‘Lancashire Excellence in Tourism Awards’.Whilst the Cornerhouse receives column inches because of the uniqueness of its dining experience. Owner and renowned local artist Steve Ormerod can be seen most days in the open studio he has created in the corner of this café bar. The sight of Steve working on a painting whilst customers relax with their meal has seen many turn to regulars eager to stay up to date with a paintings progress.

If food can be the draw then it is perhaps walking that gives visitors to Padiham their appetite. In the shadow of Pendle the countryside and landscape around Padiham offers great walking for those of all abilities. The year 2007 will see a series of 10 new walks published as well as the creation of a walking festival in May to champion the hidden routes and forgotten meadows around this market town. Already published however is the Gawthorpe Circular walk which is featured in this edition of Northern Life, a walk that offers a sense of the history and change that has been alluded to in this timeline of Padiham’s fortunes. The four-mile walk, which commences, from the town hall traces a route beside the River Calder, past the heritage of old industrial and coal workings, now themselves reclaimed to be almost indistinguishable from the landscape around them. Gawthorpe Hall itself features prominently in this route, both as part of the river view from the opposing bank and again as the walk crosses the Calder and enters the grounds to the Elizabethan gem, on the route back to the town. It is perhaps fitting that this Hall, which had been home to the Shuttleworth’s for many Centuries and which was so influential in this, the story of Padiham, will now guide visitors back to the town itself.

Kendal Sketchbook

with our resident artist Alec Pearson

In a conversation we were once having about by-pass roads around towns and cities, somebody remarked, (and it could have been me,) that it’s possible to drive for hours on end without actually going somewhere. We could set off from here in Bradley for instance, take the Skipton by-pass and get some distance up into Scotland without passing through a single town - Penrith, Carlisle or, come to that, Glasgow even. All of which places of course being well worth a visit.
Similarly, it is not necessary, on a trip up to the Lakes, to drive through the so-called “Gateway-to-the-Lakes” Kendal, in order to get to Windermere or Keswick.
However, having got the approving nod from Editor Karen about doing a Kendal sketchbook for this edition, at last I had a mission for once, to get off its by-pass and visit this most attractive and famous town.

“Fancy a trip up to Kendal? I asked Jean, knowing she would readily say ‘yes,’ and we set off on the next decent day early this spring”

As is our habit, when visiting places unfamiliar to us, we start, as many visitors sensibly do, by picking up a map at the Tourist Information Centre – that’s if the place has one. And Kendal does have one - in a building of some magnificence – the wonderful Town Hall built, as many public buildings were in the nineteenth century, in the neo–classical style.

No need of a map then to find my first sketching location – I could start right here and draw the Town Hall! A plaque on the wall told me that the building was constructed on the site of the old White Hall, believed to have been a wool exchange hall for Kendal’s cloth trade with Virginia. This was replaced by a new White Hall in 1825 then converted into the Town Hall in the middle of the nineteenth century and towards the end of the century it had the addition of its grand clock tower which first rang its eleven bells for Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee.

Nor was the use of a map strictly necessary to find the remains of Kendal Castle. We found our way through the park down to the broad path by the river Kent from here the castle was clearly visible, high on the hill above the town showing off its jagged, ruined outline against the spring sky and offering a view for a quick sketch from where we were without climbing the hill up to it. My excuse for not doing so being that it was now time for lunch!
The castle has been pretty much in ruins since Tudor times but, nonetheless, if there’s time, it is worth the walk up to it not least for the view from there over the town.
Continuing along the delightful walk by the side of the river I spotted a terrace of interesting houses on the opposite side - interesting enough that is to sit for a while on one of the convenient benches, on our side, to do a sketch of them.
These are the Sleddall Almshouses and chapel, built to commemorate, as was the first-time ringing of the Town Hall bells, Queen Victoria’s Jubilee.
Just a short distance from there is Miller Bridge, one of the three stone bridges crossing the river Kent in Kendal linking both sides of the town. These old stone bridges are great to draw even if a bit of a challenge in getting the proportions and the perspective convincingly accurate. However, we had eaten a delicious lunch in the terrific vegetarian café right next to it, the sun was out, I had got myself a nice comfortable sketching spot by the water and was in just the right frame of mind to spend the rest of the afternoon indulging myself drawing part of the bridge and the buildings next to it whilst hoping that Jean wasn’t expecting me to go with her round the shops!