Explore the history around Blackhall Yard

Explore the history around Blackhall Yard. . Stricklandgate was originally 'stirc-land gate', the street leading out of the town to the fields where stirks (young cattle) were reared. It developed as a road with big houses owned by prominent and wealthy members of business and society, interspaced with shops and yards with cottages and work premises at the rear. Like the rest of Kendal's streets, it had no pavements and was thick with mud in winter and choking dust in summer. John MacAdam is said to have carried out his new method of road surfacing in Stricklandgate in 1824., Stricklandgate House was built in about 1776 for Joseph Maude, a wealthy Kendal banker, and was considered the best house in town then. The Bank of Maude, Wilson and Crewdson opened on 1st January 1778, the same day as John Wakefield's Bank. The two amalgamated in 1840 to form the Kendal Bank, in the building now occupied by Barclays Bank., In 1854, Stricklandgate House was leased to the 'Kendal Literary and Science Society', whose members included William Wordsworth, John Dalton and Adam Sedgwick. The Society established its own Museum here, beginning with 'a few stuffed birds', which grew to an imposing and valuable collection. In 1900, as an experiment, it was opened free of charge to the public on four afternoons a week, a move which proved to be very successful., The Society was disbanded in 1913, following the opening of the Public Library in 1909. Some of its treasures were sold to the British Museum and the remainder of the collection was given to Kendal Corporation to form the nucleus of the present Kendal Museum, on Station Road., Stricklandgate House was then bought by Dr Samuel Clark Noble, a surgeon in Kendal for many years. The grounds behind the house, known as Maudes Meadow, had been used for rugby since 1907 but, when the rugby club moved to a new site on Shap Road, Mrs. Noble gave the land to the people of Kendal, in memory of her husband. It is now a delightful peaceful park, also known as Noble's Rest., Black Hall, near the entrance to Blackhall Yard, was the home of Henry Wilson, Kendal's first Alderman in 1575, following the granting of the Elizabeth I Charter. He was removed from office, having indulged in unseemly behaviour unbecoming to an Alderman! The massive Westmorland chimneys, dating from the 16th century, were rebuilt in 1820 when the building was occupied by Hodgson's Black Hall Brush Factory., Photograph captions , The 'Bristling Hog' above the door was once the sign of the Brush Factory., The General Post Office was built in 1930 on the site of the house of the Strickland family., Black Hall was the home of Henry Wilson, Kendal's first Alderman in 1575., Maudes Meadow was used for Rugby from 1907., Kendal Fire Station was once located behind Stricklandgate House., Looking north along Stricklandgate from the top of Sondes Avenue at the turn of the century.