The white of mint cake brought fame to Kendal when the sweet confection was taken to the top of Mt. Everest in 1953 by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay. But it was the green of its cloth that brought prosperity to the town for over 300 years.
Although the wool trade died out in the 18th century - thanks to increasing competition from mill towns in Yorkshire and Lancashire - Kendal’s motto remains Cloth is my Bread and its heritage is celebrated every year by Kendal Wool Gathering.
What distinguishes the town now is a cultural offering considerably richer than in many bigger places: the Brewery Arts Centre, the Quaker Tapestry Museum, Kendal Museum, The Factory (home to artists and makers), Kendal College’s creative arts complex, Abbot Hall Art Gallery (closed for redevelopment until 2022), and numerous festivals, Kendal Mountain Festival the best known.
There’s a neat coincidence in that the home of mint cake, relished by walkers and climbers, should also be the place where walking guide writer Alfred Wainwright once worked as borough treasurer. His office was in the town hall on Highgate.
