Local archive
Business & Openings
Lovingly Artisan, based near Kendal, has been named the North of England regional champion at the Great British Food Awards after winning six product awards. The Lake District Tea Co also secured gold for its Kendal Mint Brew, while several other Cumbrian producers received national recognition.
Business & Openings Oxenholme
Levens Hall will open for nine days across three December weekends in 2026, with Christmas decorations, Great Hall carols, festive food and bookable Father Christmas visits.
Business & Openings
James Batchelor, founder and chief executive of Kendal-based Alertacall, has paid tribute to Dame Esther Rantzen, who served as an ambassador and advisory board member for the company.
Business & Openings
Kendal zero-waste retailer Another Weigh has renewed its lease at Wainwright’s Yard, retaining its place at the award-winning retail destination for a further six years.
Business & Openings Town Centre
Another Weigh has extended its lease at Wainwright’s Yard, securing the future of the Kendal zero-waste shop until July 2032.
Business & Openings Castle Green
Veterans, partners and carers can claim free tickets for the sixth Cumbrian Veterans Afternoon Tea at Castle Green Hotel in Kendal on Wednesday 21 October. Organisers are also seeking corporate sponsors for the charity’s work.
Business & Openings
Sizergh’s National Trust Christmas event will run daily from 20 November to Christmas Eve 2026, with a nature-themed light trail, decorated house, festive crafts and late opening for the café and shop.
Business & Openings
My Property Box has acquired H&H Land & Estates’ residential sales and lettings division, bringing the business into Kendal and three other Cumbrian locations while the existing team transfers to the new owner.
Business & Openings Fell
The average home in Westmorland and Furness was worth a record £230,449 in July 2026, according to the UK House Price Index. Prices rose 7.7% in a year, but the district-wide figure does not represent Kendal alone and sales volumes have fallen.
Business & Openings
Lakeland Maze Pumpkin Patch in Kendal will open every weekend in October and daily from October 24 to 31, with thousands of pumpkins, farm activities and a café. Other pumpkin patches are also planned across Cumbria for autumn 2026.
Business & Openings Strickland
The number of people claiming unemployment-related benefits across Kendal’s five wards reached 320 in August, matching the highest monthly total recorded so far this year.
Business & Openings Highgate
The Iceland store on Highgate in Kendal will close permanently at 4pm on Saturday, September 19, according to a report by Cumbria Crack News.
Business & Openings Highgate
One Stop on Highgate in Kendal has been ordered to close for three months after Trading Standards officers seized 1,222 packets of cigarettes, 123 packets of hand-rolling tobacco and 716 vaping devices during investigations into illicit and non-compliant products.
Business & Openings Highgate
One Stop at 44 Highgate, Kendal, has been ordered to close for three months after Trading Standards officers seized illegal tobacco and non-compliant vaping products during inspections dating back to September 2025.
Business & Openings Castle Green
Kendal’s 99-bedroom Castle Green Hotel has been placed on the market for £10 million after a strategic review by its shareholders.
Business & Openings
Lovingly Artisan Bakery, based near Kendal, has been named the UK’s food and drink brand of the year at the Artisan Founder Awards 2026, while another Cumbrian business, Lake District Tweed, also won a category.
Business & Openings
South Lakes Housing has introduced electric vans for its Property Services team, with the vehicles making an early appearance at Hallgarth in Kendal before being deployed across the organisation’s communities.
Business & Openings
Five activists were removed from James Cropper plc’s annual shareholder meeting at the J36 Conference Centre after protesting over the company’s links to military aircraft.
Business & Openings
Brewery Arts in Kendal has installed two larger, more energy-efficient pottery kilns after receiving funding from The David Snowdon Trust, replacing equipment that had served the studio for more than 20 years.
Business & Openings
Brewery Arts in Kendal is recruiting a permanent cleaner for 20 hours a week, with applications closing at noon on 10 September 2026.
Business & Openings Fell
The Cumbria Grand Hotel in Grange-over-Sands entered administration on 11 August 2026, but the hotel was still accepting bookings on 18 August and had not announced a closure.
