Kendal

We went up on Friday afternoon and spent the early evening at Grange over Sands, where we saw the Ornamental Park with the duck collection, the community orchard, and the promenade, looking out over the Kent Eastuary towards Arnside Silverdale and Morecambe bay.
The Crooklands Hotel was very comfortable did a great meal and served both Black Sheep beer, which was good, and Radical Beer, which was even better. Crooklands has that wonderful arrangement with mobile phones, so that you can phone out if you want, by going out top the car park, but the signal is too weak for people to phone you from inside the hotel.
In Kendal we parked in Kirkland, where the church and Abbott Hall are,  and walked up towards the town centre visiting shops as they caught our eye. We had a nice up of tea at Farrer's, and then later had another cup of tea at 1657 Chocolate House together with a sandwich.  They have an interesting selection of hot chocolate and gateaux to look forward to another time.  In between we bought some Lancashire cheese from a very market stall, from a stall-holder who was very enthusiastic about good cheese.
We walked back along the the riverside to Abbot Hall but we decided the leave that for another (more rainy) day. Instead we drove out to Troutbeck where we enjoyed the later afternoon sun first at the Queen's Head which we often pass on the way up to Kirkstone Pass, and then at The Mortal Man with great views looking down the valley.  We drove the length of Troutbeck village from the Queen's Head at Townhead to the Townend and from there on the road toward Ambleside, which had some spectacular views of Lake Windermere, in the early evening sunshine.  Then we drove past Bowness and back through Crook back the Kendal bypass and home.