Old Yards of Kendal No. 4

Yard 76

Situated on the western side of Highgate this is known as Shakespeare Yard.

The building in the centre of the photograph is the Shakespeare Theatre, built in 1829. It was Kendal's first purpose built theatre. Edmund Kean, a nationally famous actor, played there in 1832.

Poverty in the town and pressure from Quakers, Presbyterians and Temperance groups forced it to close in 1834. It continued to be used as a ballroom.

It is now run by a church group as a community cente with rooms for hire. I believe it is one of the locations used by the Kendal Mountain Festival.

A younger and more determined photographer might well have moved the large rubbish bin in the bottom right!