Wainwright Gallery

Click and drag on the image above for a look round the gallery

Named after the former honorary curator of Kendal Musem, Alfred Wainwright, this gallery traces the history of man in Cumbria from Prehistoric times to present.

Prehistoric material includes a variety of Mesolithic tools from the Limestone Uplands of Southern Cumbria and a large collection of Neolithic axe heads and stone tools from the ‘factory’ at Great Langdale, Cumbria. 

You can see Roman material from a variety of Roman sites including the excavations at Watercrook Fort, Kendal, which includes domestic and military items, coins, jewellery, shoes, altars, an officer’s memorial and a sculpture of
the classical god Bacchus. 

Aerial view of Kendal Castle by kind permission of Steve Barber Photography

The display about Kendal Castle, which was built in the mid-13th century, tells the story of the castle, its people and the life of the town. It was home to the Parr family whose most famous member was Queen Katherine Parr, sixth wife of Henry VIII. Enter the ‘Castle’ and learn about life in Tudor times.

You can see an original key from the castle and leather drinking jugs, a silver coin hoard and weaponry including cannonballs and chain mail.

An interactive touch screen computer tells what life was like in Kendal 500 years ago.  Kendal Castle still stands today, although mostly in ruins, and can be easily reached on foot from Kendal Museum – ask staff for directions.

Click and drag on the image above for a look round the gallery

We also have a fine collection of ancient Egyptian material including funerary objects, scarab seals, shawabti figures, and numerous necklace beads.

A wide range of local historical artefacts are displayed, representing civic life and local industries such as the wool trade. There are also items belonging to the museum’s founding fathers, such as John Dalton’s barometer and John Gough’s weather records.

Alfred Wainwright was Honorary Clerk and Curator to Kendal Museum from 1945-1974 and we have many of his original pen and ink drawings on display, including original pages for his famous ‘Pictorial Guides’.

Come and see Wainwright’s reconstructed office. You can also see maps drawn when he was a child, his original map of Westmorland, hand-written accounts, and drawings of items from the Museum of Lakeland Life, Kendal.

Personal items include Wainwright's walking jacket, spectacles, rucksack,
heavily darned socks and his famous pipe!

For children:

• Try on some Roman shoes!
• Handle and identify real Roman pottery
• Make a Medieval tiled floor
• Coin rubbing
• Interactive Kendal Castle display
• Play a slate xylophone