Commercial Hotel
Location
History
When the hotel was built in 1804 the landlord was a Mr Maskew.
In 1829 the landlord was James Webster.
Also known later as The Kendal Hotel.
In more recent times it incorporated a night club variously named as Alley Cats, TCs and Jazz's.
Curwen, 1900
Mentioned in "Kirkbie-Kendal, Fragments collected relating to it's ancient Streets and Yards; Church and Castle; Houses and Inns", John F Curwen, 1901
It is, however, necessary to retrace back a few steps in order to notice the 'Commercial Hotel', which was built in 1804, when Mr Maskew was 'mine host'. It stands on the site of the ancient Royal Oak Inn, owned by John Fletcher in 1746, and which, like the 'Golden Fleece Inn' opposite, had the facade supported on wooden posts. On the property being rebuilt, the sign of the Royal Oak was transferred to what had previously been known as the Butchers' Arms, at the head of the Old Shambles. James Webster was the innkeeper during the great election of 1818, and remained so until the inn was put up for sale on the 27th day of August, 1824, together with the 'two valuable shops, a good dwelling house, and a news room adjoining the said inn on the north and fronting on to Highgate, and now in the several occupations of Alderman Dobson and Joseph Garnett as tenants'.As a sign the Inn has ever hung out in a most tempting way a bunch of grapes, an emblem one would suppose of the good wine within; but it has always seemed to me that the grapes must have been peculiarly tantalizing to the Fox and Goose across the way, unless indeed, their sagacity recognised that 'the grapes were sour'. At that time, every inn, by Act of Parliament, was obliged to hang out a sign, which now, through ages of creaking and groaning, have mostly fallen into decay.
In the prime era of coaching - circa 1820 - the 'Royal Liverpool' coach started to run from here, in opposition to the 'Good Intent', which had for nine years held the road from the 'Kings Arms' to Whitehaven. And in 1826, the 'Independant', and express coach, stopped here from Carlisle to change horses and replenish the 'inner man'. But oh! the hurry there must have been over that replenishing so hastily performed to the accompaniment of the guard's post horn, relentlessly proclaiming imminent departure.
This coach likewise was in opposition to the 'Robert Burns', which ran from Glasgow or Edinburgh right through to Liverpool or Manchester, putting up to change horses at the 'Crown Inn'. Great rivals, indeed, of the first water, but even they for a short time had to face the deliberate opposition of the 'Defiance' and the 'North Briton', which by the way they managed to do with such good effect, as to bring the latter two coaches into amalgamation with them soon afterwards. John F Curwen, Kirkbie Kendal (1900) p31
