Kendal was the largest town in the County of Westmorland (though not the capital which was Appleby), before it became part of Cumbria. It was a one of the country's main manufacturing towns from the 14th Century until the 19th Century, with many mills on the River Kent. The layout of the town is characterised by the narrow yards and lanes branching from the main street. Kendal is an attractive, historical town, still the centre of a lot of local industry. It is less than a mile from the National Park boundary but is overlooked by the majority of people heading for Windermere and Grasmere. The population of Kendal is approximately 26,000