Local archive
Community
Kendal householders will see every bin collection move back by one day during the week beginning Monday 31 August 2026. The South Lakeland service also has new paid garden-waste rules, while larger recycling bins are planned but have no confirmed rollout date.
Traffic & Construction Oxenholme
Kendal residents heading to the Westmorland County Show at Crooklands on 9 or 10 September 2026 can book adult tickets for £23 by 8 September and use a free bus from Kendal Bus Station every 30 minutes. Temporary one-way arrangements are also planned around the showground.
Community
Average house prices across Westmorland and Furness rose 11.1% in the year to June 2026, the joint fourth-fastest increase among England’s 295 local authority districts. But the official figure covers the much wider council area rather than Kendal alone, while local completed sales show a different picture.
Culture Town Centre
Visit Kendal’s arts and culture calendar lists 12 events and exhibitions across Kendal, including projects at Abbot Hall, live music at Brewery Arts Centre, creative workshops, outdoor yoga, an adventure writing group, the Kendal Walking Festival and a September quiz.
Community Burneside
A total of 305 people across Kendal’s five wards were claiming in July 2026, while under-25 claims across Westmorland and Furness fell by 15% over two years as the UK figure rose by 16%.
Culture Fell
Brewery Arts has announced a wide-ranging September 2026 programme in Kendal, including tribute concerts, comedy, spoken word, cinema screenings, creative courses, exhibitions and new social events.
Sport Mint Bridge
Kendal Rugby Union Football Club has published a heavily revised fixture schedule, with the competitive season delayed, Leek now due at Mint Bridge on 10 October and Macclesfield replacing Burton in Regional 1 North West.
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.
Culture
Kendal’s 2026 Summer Trail is under way, with wool at its heart and a focus on the trade that helped shape the town.
Traffic & Construction
A handful of new shop openings has given Kendal’s high street a boost this summer, offering locals and visitors more reasons to browse.
Community
Brewery Arts’ 2026 Community Dance Platform brought in-house dancers and visiting groups together for performances shaped by storytelling, imagination and community connection. The programme also introduced an Adult Performance Project for dancers developing work for the stage.
Sport
Kendal Rugby Union Football Club has announced four further re-signings, five additions and two new board members as preparations continue for the 2026/27 campaign.
Traffic & Construction Town Centre
Westmorland and Furness Council has completed a refurbishment of the Fell Street public toilets in Barrow, with upgraded facilities now open to residents and visitors.
Sport
Kendal Rugby Union Football Club has published an extensive record of First XV and Wasps appearances and scoring, covering players from 1905 through the end of the 2025 season, with newer records extending into 2025/26.
Sport Mint Bridge
Kendal Rugby Union Football Club is asking members, players, parents, supporters and volunteers to help prepare its Mint Bridge facilities ahead of the 2026/27 season.
Culture Fell
Brewery Arts has welcomed more than 1,000 people to the first Summer Sundays event of August, with four further music-filled afternoons planned and new evening entertainment added.
Community Castle
Cumbria Pension Fund is supporting a fundraising cycle ride from Carlisle to the south coast, with money being raised for Watchtree Nature Reserve’s Watchtower Project.
Education
Cumbria Adult Learning has launched its 2026-27 programme, with free skills courses and wider classes available through its Kendal centre and across Cumbria.
Culture
Brewery Arts’ 2026 Open Exhibition has opened in Kendal after receiving a record number of submissions from artists across the region. Louise Sturgis won the Judges’ Choice Award, while Tim Watson received the People’s Choice Award voted for by visitors.
Culture
Kendal’s official What’s On listing features exhibitions, concerts, family activities, outdoor sessions, community meetings and festivals running from late July into September 2026.
Community
Westmorland and Furness Council is launching a Breastfeeding Welcome Scheme in its public-facing buildings, with families able to access support and activities through Best Start Family Hubs during World Breastfeeding Week.
Culture Fell
Brewery Arts has announced a new partnership with Flookburgh-based Fell Brewery, bringing refreshed bars, new branding and a larger local-beer presence to the Kendal arts venue during its August Summer Sundays programme.
Community Town Centre
Westmorland and Furness Council will widen parking bays at Westmorland Shopping Centre car park in Kendal from 2.4 metres to 2.6 metres, with some spaces exceeding 3 metres. The work will reduce overall capacity and take place floor by floor, while a wider town parking study is planned through March 2027.
