Sandes Hospital

From a new mini series on Kendal’s green plaques here is Sandes Hospital.

Sandes Hospital in Highgate (near the Town Hall) was built in 1659 and houses today, as always, elderly persons. Within the gateway is an old iron collecting box beneath which is the words ‘Remember the Poor’. This gorgeous mid 17th century building seems to have retained all of its medieval charm.

In this yard Thomas Sandes (1606-81), cloth merchant and former Mayor of Kendal, founded a school and eight almshouses for poor widows. The gatehouse, once the master’s house, had single story wings and houses the school and a library in the chamber over the gateway.The houses were rebuilt in 1852 by Kendal architect Miles Thompson. In 1886 the school merged with kendal Grammar School which was succeeded in 1980 by Kirkbie kendal School, whose trustees still own the property.