Spotlight on Kendal

WHERE: The first Lakes town you reach after leaving Lancashire. Eight miles from Windermere or 12 miles from Kirkby Stephen in the other direction.

WHY: Not just a tourist attraction but a bustling, prosperous town in its own right. It is the focal point for the surrounding farming communities and serves local people as much as the day-trippers.

Individual little shops line the quaint alleyways in its older part, but all the big multiples are here as well and there is also a thriving market in the town square.

Despite rapid growth Kendal has managed to retain its character and also thinks bigger than its size should allow with its own castle, theatre, art galleries and river running through the centre.

WHO: Over half the properties sold here in the last 12 months went to people from outside the area, but not necessarily as second homes. Many people retire to Kendal wanting the beauty of the Lake District but the convenience of a town and because of its good communications many people commute from Kendal to work in places like Preston or Lancaster

TRANSPORT: Just four miles from the M6, Kendal has good road links both north and south. The West Coast Mainline railway stops at Oxenholme just outside the town.

AGENT'S VIEW: "Since February when the London market dipped we have noticed a difference in the top end of the market," says Peter Hardie of Cumbrian Properties. "We used to get quite a few buyers from the south east looking to cash in on the price difference. They would come up, find a place and be confident they could sell their own within a matter of weeks. That has ended now.

"At the end of June, we saw a real surge in the number of properties bought by people to let out and there is a big demand for rental property here particularly places with three or four bedrooms.

"People serious about moving here sell their own place elsewhere then rent here until they find the perfect place.

"Kendal has seen a real rise in prices because of the demand and because it is so accessible. People prefer to be able to get somewhere quickly and use it as a base to explore further once they are here."

Related stories