In reply to Dark-Cloud:
> I live Kendal but wonderful is stretching it a bit.
> I may be slightly jaded having been here for most of my life but it’s not a patch on what it was 20 years ago, the high street is useless unless you want a haircut, kebab or charity shop, empty shops everywhere, the traffic system is diabolical (traffic lights rule) the new housing developments have swamped the town and house prices are insane, I’m actively looking to move out of Kendal…
Already deviating from the OP, sounds like his decision to move there has long been been made, he was only looking for climbing partners, but:
If you have a young family and are into the outdoors then I'd imagine Kendal is one of the best places in England to live, close to the Lakes (obviously) and very well connected to the rest of the country.
However in your early 20s and single (as I was when I was living there, admittedly a decade ago) not so much......especially as most of my friends there worked in the outdoor industry and I was 9-5 so time off rarely tied in with other people. Hence I left after a couple of years.
I've always thought Kendal seems to desperately try to be a tourist town like Keswick or Ambleside when in reality it's much more like Penrith with unaffordable houses.