No 7 Stramongate

Today's the day ........................ for some house history

The oak plaque high up under the gable of this 16th century house in Stramongate, Kendal bears a coat of arms and reads Baron of K.K. 1546.

It was the town house of the Bellingham Family of Levens Hall, one of the great Westmorland landowners. The outward appearance of the house has changed very little over the four and half centuries that it has stood on this spot. It has had many inhabitants - including one Mrs Agnes Harker, the only surviving sister of Captain Cook, the circumnavigator, who lived in part of it until she reached the grand old age of 94.

Nowadays, it is Henry Roberts Bookshop - probably the oldest building in use as a shop in Kendal ..................