Middle Centuries Kendal
Kendal was a late developer in this region, the Romans had a fort at Natland, there is evidence of Anglo Saxon development nearby but it was the Normans who established Kendal as the major centre of the Kent Valley with the building of a Castle just to the east of the River and establishing the Baronry of Richard Coeur de Lion in 1189. Around the Castle a town grew which became a thriving Centre of the Wool Trade.
Kendal Castle now stands in Ruins but was once the birthplace of the last of the six wives of Henry Eighth Cartherine Parr.
Roads In Kendal
The Roman Road system ran near to Kendal with a road from Natland following the course of the modern day A685 through Grayrigg to the Roman Camp at Low Borrow Bridge. It is likely that the shorter route to Penrith via Selside and Shap started to be used sometime after the Norman Conquest and the estabilshing of the township of Kendal in 1189, this along with the estabilshing of Shap Abbey at a similar time to the establishing of Kendal and the building of Eamont Bridge in 1425 would have likely made this the main road between Kendal and Penrith. With the establishing of the wool trade Kendal became a route centre for the region with 3 othe main roads coming into the town the road from the central lakes, the Sedbergh road and the road from Natland and Endmoor.
