Tag: Kendal

An army of golden light

You can come to the memorial gardens within Kendal’s Maude’s Meadow either by Maude Street, which runs off the town centre, or by a dark and tree-overshadowed path from the old Quaker district of Fellside. The latter is the best at this time of the early autumn. Much of the descending path is shrouded in venerable trees. If you’re lucky, upon entering the edge … Read More An army of golden light

Last Gasp…

Taken recently, these photos of Maude’s Meadow, in Kendal, may well show the ‘last gasp’ of that beautiful week of golden weather we had – most certainly the best of the summer – here in Cumbria.  Maude’s Meadow is tucked away at the start of the Windermere road out of the town. If you didn’t know it was there, you’d never stumble across it. … Read More Last Gasp…

The river and the old bridge mills

The Old Bridge mills once formed the heart of Kendal’s industry. They have since been converted into offices and other commercial properties. The River Kent flows right through their heart, providing a dramatic urban landscape which can be seen from the castle, a twenty minute walk away. The height of summer is a good time to reach into this landscape and capture its lushness. … Read More The river and the old bridge mills

Symmetry

From the fashion streets of Venice To the Lakeland waters And glories of former times The mind finds hidden symmetries Captured by the eyes But unseen till needed. ——————- ©Stephen Tanham 2024 All photos taken and processed on an iPhone 12 ProMax or created using NightCafe Studio AI. Stephen Tanham is a writer-photographer and mystical teacher. He is the founding Director of the Silent … Read More Symmetry

The Fury on the Horizon

It’s a steep climb from Kendal’s town centre up to the old castle that still stands guard over this ancient town. Once there, you are greeted with 360 degrees of lovely landscape, ranging from the north end of Morecambe Bay to the Lakeland hills. Just to the north-east lie the less visited Howgills. I always glance across, as the view of hills and dales … Read More The Fury on the Horizon

Yard 17

Kendal has a network of old alleyways. I’ve written about them before. They form useful shortcuts across the town. A kind of ancient ‘worm-hole’ is how it feel when you’re striding along one, knowing that you’re shaving precious seconds off the normal time; or sheltered, collar up on the long raincoat, from the cutting wind and rain of a Cumbrian January. Yard 17 is … Read More Yard 17

Spring Oak

From a distance it’s just another tree. Yet, as you get closer there’s something about this oak that makes it a kind of ‘king of the hill’. It sits on the highest point of a track that used to be the path of a canal linking Preston with Kendal. The stretch of landscape was known among the barge folk as the most beautiful of … Read More Spring Oak

The Light and the Gloom

Kendal, midweek… the retail day was drawing to a close. A thin fog had covered the town and its surrounding hills for most of the day, and the encroaching darkness at the end of the afternoon made the gloom seem even more dense. I have always been drawn by urban photos of streets where the lights have that ‘just turned on’ look. Collie in … Read More The Light and the Gloom

Pale sun, November river…

That moment when you look up and realise that the sun is as high as it’s going to get … and, yes, it’s the end of November. On our ‘town and castle’ walk, the Collie and I pass over this old stone bridge and gaze down at the silver-gold of the river Kent. And reflect… ©Stephen Tanham 2022 Stephen Tanham is a Director of … Read More Pale sun, November river…

Back lane to the river

It is said by local historians that if Kendal had not fallen prey to the soulless developments of the 1960s, the town would now rival York in the historical interest offered by its venerable streets – and its living links with long-disappeared ways of life… There are numerous alleys that lead from the town centre to the River Kent. It’s fascinating to walk these … Read More Back lane to the river

Bad morning at the pharmacy

It’s been a bad morning at the Boots pharmacy in Kendal, which is why I’m posting some gentle pictures of the park where, earlier, I walked Tess before the catastrophe… The annual ritual of the flu jab is upon us. We soothe it with breakfast in Kendal afterwards; but we have a Collie dog, Tess, who needs at least two good walks plus frisbee … Read More Bad morning at the pharmacy

Ten small things

It was the sunset that started it, the return of what I have come to think of as ‘ the full sky’, just after the vernal equinox. I have a habit, when I manage to do full day’s gardening, of sitting with a final outdoor cup of tea and looking at the approaching sunset, camera in hand, experiencing what the ancient philosophers called ‘agape’. … Read More Ten small things