10 Mount Pleasant

Today's the day ............................ for walls and windows

Kendal may be known as the 'Auld Grey Town' - because many of its buildings are constructed from the local grey limestone - but in reality it's a place full of activity and interesting detail.

I've always been fascinated by this elegant, detached, Regency-style double-fronted house of three stories with attic. It's a perfect square and would be quite plain were it not for the three bays of identical narrow windows fitted with very distinctive geometric patterned glazing.  It has a local nickname of the Swiss Cottage - but apart from that, I know nothing more.

There are many examples to be seen of the Westmorland Long Window (see extra).  In 1697, a window tax was imposed on houses worth more than £5 per annum which had more than six windows. It was the number of windows on which the tax was assessed and not the total area or size of them.  So in order to pay as little tax as possible, windows were sometimes blocked up - or one window was made to serve the needs of two or more.

The long window here illuminates two floors and the staircase that joins them ............................