29 Stricklandgate

Curwen, 1900 p340

It is little realized by those who traverse along the busy Market Place upon what an elevated ground it stands, and what a beautiful landscape of the Kent valley is seen from many of its upper windows. But harder still is it to realize that these houses in days of yore were the residences of the leading gentry. In front of the chemist’s shop, at the corner of Cheapside, may be seen the arms of Richard Crowle, viz.. Sable, a chevron between three mascles Or, two and one. This Crowle was Recorder of Kendal from 1752-1757. The family originally came from Hull, and resided sometime at Cunswick Hall. Here stood, together with the adjoining houses to the north, the last of those interesting memorials of a bygone age, the wooden-framed galleried-houses, with their massive vertical and transverse oaken beams rudely “ sett upp,” and firmly bound together by oak pegs or trennels.

Cornelius Nicholson says, that before the days of the umbrella, these galleried houses were so common in Kendal that you could walk dryshod, under the cover of them, from the Newbiggin to this Stricklandgate end. Good old Kendal truly may be considered one of the dampest spots in Christendom, but at least it must be acknowledged that she has done her best to protect the passer by, as far as possible, from the rain. Where is there such another town with so many covered entries on either side of the public way. Caught in a sudden shower, one has but twenty paces or so to run at the most, before a friendly shelter can be met with, and who is there amongst us that has not oftimes had cause to bless these quaint old yard ends ? At the beginning of the XIXth century a firm of Waite and Jackson carried on here a large drapery establishment, and in the year 1818 I find that James Noble occupied this building as his surgery. In 1822 the premises were re-built altogether, when the galleries were superseded by the present limestone front. William Tindall had a chemist’s shop here about 1848, until his death in 1852, when a firm of Armistead and Shepherd followed. They were succeeded by Matthew Burton, who caused the doorway to be removed to the corner of the building. It is said, but upon what authority I cannot say, that Burton christened the side lane “Cheapside,” as an indication of the very low profits that he in his shop was prepared to make.