The late Joan Humprheys, of Kendal, recalls the River Kent in the 1950s

IN THE 1950s the river Kent split into two parts as it entered the centre of town.

Gooseholme had water running level with Thorny Hills, which served Goodacres carpet works, and the main part of the river ran level with the New Road.

Gooseholme could be entered from either New Road where there was a footbridge, or from Castle Crescent but there was no way right through.

The river was liable to flood as it is very fast-moving from its beginnings in the foothills above Kentmere.

In 1954 I was working in Kendal and used to come into town from the Endmoor area every morning using the bus service, which dropped me opposite the Town Hall where Woolworths used to be.

The bus would come over the railway bridge at Oxenholme and descend past Oxenholme Farm at the bottom of the hill.

On this occasion, there was so much water running down the road that it was taking turnips with it which I presume had been picked up in the farmyard.

I walked down Finkle Street and into Stramongate (there was no Blackhall Road there then) and found the road flooded as far as St George’s Theatre. I turned tail and caught a bus back home.

In the 1970s the river bed was lowered and the Kent widened. The putting green which ran alongside Aynam Road was moved to Gooseholme and the part of the river alongside Thorny Halls was filled in.