An expression used by my Mother many times upon entering a messy house. Now I know where she got the expression from.
This is an aerial view of the ancient town of Kendal which used to be the largest town in Westmorland before it became part of Cumbria. When I was home visiting England 12 years ago I passed through Kendal on my way to the Lake District .
Some times referred to as the Southern Gateway to the Lakes.
Information from http://www.visitcumbria.com.
I am fascinated with this interesting town. I did have ancestors who lived here in the 1800's. Stephen Oldcorn (3rd cousin three times removed) and his wife Rebekah Winskill and their seven children whose address in the 1881 Census was listed as "Old Shambles". When I saw that I decided to do a little more checking on what kind of a place that could be.
To my surprise I found pictures of "Old Shambles " you get to it through this narrow alley next to the Fleece Inn on Highgate Street. (Main Street) Kendal's oldest surviving Inn built in 1654.
Kendal, built by the Romans after them came the Normans who left 2 Castle's. The layout of Kendal is a mish mash of yards and lanes branching off the main street. Each yard was usually named after the owner of the main house which stood at the head of the yard. The Elizabethans and the Victorians left a wealth of great architecture usually found only in larger cities and towns.
A few examples -
A few Historic Public Houses -
I wish I could have stayed longer in this town with so much to see.
My cousin Stephen Oldcorn had a son William Henry who emigrated to America in 1906 and settled in Cleveland, Ohio.
The Kendal Clipper a free Bus Service for 6 weeks every summer to encourage tourists to leave their cars behind.
Please visit the link for more great History and Pictures.
3 comments:
You are always a wealth of knowledge. Love your posts!
Fascinating. Reading all about Kendal reminded me of the many holidays our family spent in the nearby village of Burneside, and we would visit Kendal where my mother would spend what seemed like hours at the Scotch Wool Shop - then of course we'd have to go and buy some Kendal Mint Cake!
Thanks Anne - Yes I did stop and buy some Mint Cake myself when I was there. It was Market Day and the town was so busy. We had such a short time to stay. Some of the "Oldcorn" children were weavers in the woolen Mills.
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