Kendal Castle
Encyclopedia
Kendal Castle is situated on a mound-like hill, known as a drumlin
, to the east of the town of Kendal
, Cumbria
, in northern England
.
, the sixth wife of King Henry VIII of England
. Her family had lived at Kendal since her ancestor Sir William Parr married the heiress of Kendal, Elizabeth Ros, during the reign of Edward III of England
. By the time Catherine Parr was born, the family had long deserted the castle which was already falling into disrepair. Catherine's father, preferred living in the center of court in London. Sir Thomas's father seems to be the last of the Parr's to have lived at Kendal Castle.
The building has been a ruin since Tudor times
but imposing stonework remains are still present.
District Council.
Drumlin
A drumlin, from the Irish word droimnín , first recorded in 1833, is an elongated whale-shaped hill formed by glacial ice acting on underlying unconsolidated till or ground moraine.-Drumlin formation:...
, to the east of the town of Kendal
Kendal
Kendal, anciently known as Kirkby in Kendal or Kirkby Kendal, is a market town and civil parish within the South Lakeland District of Cumbria, England...
, Cumbria
Cumbria
Cumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...
, in northern England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
History
The castle was probably built in the late 12th century as the home of the Lancaster family who were Barons of Kendal. The best known family associated with the castle was the Parr family; including Queen Catherine ParrCatherine Parr
Catherine Parr ; 1512 – 5 September 1548) was Queen consort of England and Ireland and the last of the six wives of King Henry VIII of England. She married Henry VIII on 12 July 1543. She was the fourth commoner Henry had taken as his consort, and outlived him...
, the sixth wife of King Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
. Her family had lived at Kendal since her ancestor Sir William Parr married the heiress of Kendal, Elizabeth Ros, during the reign of Edward III of England
Edward III of England
Edward III was King of England from 1327 until his death and is noted for his military success. Restoring royal authority after the disastrous reign of his father, Edward II, Edward III went on to transform the Kingdom of England into one of the most formidable military powers in Europe...
. By the time Catherine Parr was born, the family had long deserted the castle which was already falling into disrepair. Catherine's father, preferred living in the center of court in London. Sir Thomas's father seems to be the last of the Parr's to have lived at Kendal Castle.
The building has been a ruin since Tudor times
Tudor period
The Tudor period usually refers to the period between 1485 and 1603, specifically in relation to the history of England. This coincides with the rule of the Tudor dynasty in England whose first monarch was Henry VII...
but imposing stonework remains are still present.
Today
The site is freely accessible to the public. It is managed by the South LakelandSouth Lakeland
South Lakeland is a local government district in Cumbria, England. Its council is based in Kendal. It includes much of the Lake District.The district was created on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972...
District Council.