Kendal Castle sits on a grassy hill to the east of the town, its ruined towers and curtain walls giving it the silhouette of a classic medieval fortification. Built in the 12th century as the seat of the Barons of Kendal, it was inhabited through the medieval period and gradually abandoned in the Tudor era, by which point the de Parr family — including the young Catherine Parr — had made it their home.
Today it is a ruin, freely accessible and unfenced — you simply walk up the hill and wander around the remains. The views from the top are the main reward: the town spreads out below, the Kent valley stretches south, and on clear days the fells of the Lake District are visible to the northwest. The castle itself is best viewed in the evening light, when the old stone catches the sun. There is no admission charge.