Milnthorpe

Mention Milnthorpe to anyone from outside the area in the 1950's and 60's and the mention of traffic lights and queues would not be far behind. The traffic lights are still there but the queues have now gone thanks to most traffic now using the M6. That is not to say Milnthorpe is not a quite place. It is one of the largest villages in Cumbria and acts of a shopping centre for several villages south of Kendal.

Historic Milnthorpe

In the 14th Century Milnthorpe was a busy market town and port on the River Bela. When the Kent railway viaduct was built in the 19th Century, it closed the shipping corridor to the town, and the estuary silted up, thus ending the port..

During the 19th Century 2 turnpike road's was constructed through the village one now the main A6 the other following the B6384 out to Holme.

The A6 & M6 in Milnthorpe

The A6 enter Minthorpe from Heversham taking an almost straight line south at as near to the village centre as it goes are the once famous traffic lights now fortunately without the queues of the 1960's. The A6 and M6 at Milnthorpe are now only 3 miles apart. The M6's opening in 1970 and the later A590 improvements from 1975-1984 have taken most of the traffic out of Milnthorpe. To join the M6 from Milnthorpe southbound would be to follow the A6 to junction 35 at Carnforth or northbound the B6385 to near Junction 36 at Crooklands.