Difference between revisions of "Category:Lowther Street"

Latest revision as of 16:22, 15 February 2024

Location

From it's junction with Highgate and Allhallows Lane extending east to it's junction with Kent Street and New Road. It is joined from the south by Gulf's Road.

CURWEN, 1900

"This street was opened out in 1782, causing the demolition of the "Black Bull", besides cutting through the famous Whitehall Gardens, once kept by Alderman Francis Drinkell, who was three times the Mayor of Kendal.

"The ground for building a new street in Kendal," says the Cumberland Pacquet for February 27th, 1781, "is let off, and a great part of it will be done in the course of the summer. From the regulations to be observed, it is probable this will be a great ornament to that town. The Society of Independents have purchased one of the lots, containing 28 yards in front and 14 yards inrear, on which an elegant chapel is to be built." It seems that the intention of the authorities was to build o the north side only, and that the south side should remain an open garden; but the eagerness to obtain possesion of the first five building plots proved to great a temptation for them to witstand. The ideal gave place to the material, and what might have been an open sunny thoroughfare, became a narrow path of gloom.

"How the street was paved I cannot tell. From the following curious extract it would seem that it was evidently not with the old uncomfortable cobbles, and yet it was too early for McAdam. "The new street lately opened in Kendal, called Lowther Street, is almost built up and is found of great convenience, not only by opening a way to the river, but by taking carriages, &c., by the outside of the town and thereby avoiding a great part of the pavement in passing through the place." - Cumberland Pacquet, October 12th, 1784."

One of the best things that resulted from this undertaking was the formation of a large culvert from the foot of All Hallows Lane to the river. It was designed to take away the excessive water which in flood-time used to flow down an swamp this part of Highgate, before the open channel could convey it to the cross gutter further down the street. A curious circumstance in connection with this culvert, or Nannie Hole, is reported in the papers concerning a cow, which being driven along the New Road took fright at some cavalry and galloped down to the river side. There it passed under Miller Bridge, and entered the culvert as the first place of refuge that presented itself. The poor beast once in, finding it impossible to turn, was compelled to advance, and it accordingly followed the course of the drain, to the alarm and dismay of the owner. Attempts were made to ascertain its whereabouts, and a hole was dug at the top of Lowther Street, but the calculations have been badly made. Other measures were then taken, when it was found that the cow was in a line with the ironmonger's shop of Mr Parkin (later Mrs Rudds, and eventually the wall of his cellar had to be taken down as the shortest and most convenient way of giving liberty to the poor prisoner.

This thoroughfare was called New Street - at a time when the name of Lowther was offensive to the majority of the inhabitants