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The market town of Kirkby Lonsdale has it all: a historic core with some great cafés and restaurants, strong community spirit, enjoyable countryside walks, and some fascinating literary links.
We have our fair share of traditional British weather too – sometimes dazzling blue skies and a warm sun that tempts people down to enjoy the River Lune at Devil’s Bridge, but balanced by those wet and windy days appreciated by booklovers who relish the idea of snuggling down in front of a cosy fire and immersing themselves in a good book.
The town is nestled in the southeastern corner of Cumbria, a county that has inspired numerous writers, including Sarah Hall, M.W. Craven, Ruth Sutton, Martin Edwards, and Val McDermid to name just a few. And ten miles up the road is the town of Sedbergh: England’s official book town.
Some of the many titles related to Kirkby Lonsdale
Ruskin’s View
The most famous literary figure to be associated with Kirkby Lonsdale is undoubtedly eminent Victorian philosopher, writer, art critic and artist John Ruskin, who lived at Brantwood overlooking Coniston Water and visited the town to admire the view across the River Lune painted by JMW Turner in the early 1800s.
But there are other literary connections, some of which are rather surprising. Here are 10 suggestions for reading matter to cater for every taste and all ages.
Former Clergy Daughters’ School near Kirkby Lonsdale attended by Maria, Elizabeth, Charlotte and Emily Brontë
- 1. Jane Eyre: Charlotte Brontë based Lowood School on her experiences at the Clergy Daughters’ School at nearby Cowan Bridge, which she attended together with her sisters Maria, Elizabeth and Emily for eight months in 1824 and 1825.
- 2. The Complete Poems of Emily Brontë: Emily Brontë is best known for Wuthering Heights, but her charmingly naïve poetry offers an insight into the short life of this extraordinary woman, who died of tuberculosis at the age of 30.
- 3. Magpie Moon: Rachel Canwell is a local author of flash fiction. Her novella is a haunting tale of mothers and daughters, of medicine and magic, which brings to mind the Pendle Witch Trials of 1612.
- 4. Peter Pan: J.M. Barrie was friends with Rev. Llewellyn Davies, a former vicar of the town. It was this vicar who had the Monument in the market square erected in memory of his wife. The vicar’s grandchildren were the inspiration for the Lost Boys, and his son for Mr Darling.
- 5. Life as We Have Known It: The vicar and his family were ardent supporters of women’s suffrage and social justice, so it was no surprise that his daughter Margaret took up the cudgels. For 30 years Margaret Llewelyn Davies was General Secretary of the Women’s Cooperative Guild, which became a major public voice for working class women. She edited this highly readable little gem which gives a fascinating insight into working class life in the early 1900s.
- 6. Killing Floor: Whoever would have guessed that Lee Childs wrote the first of his Jack Reacher novels when he was living in Kirkby Lonsdale?
The Rectory – former headquarters of the Women’s Cooperative Guild
On the subject of films, Kirkby Lonsdale has featured on several productions on the big and small screen
The monument in Market Square during the filming for Jamaica Inn
- 7. Jamaica Inn: in the 2013 BBC adaptation of Daphne du Maurier’s novel, the town stood in for the Cornish town of Launceston.
- 8. Dr Dolittle: the fantasy adventure film “The Voyage of Dr. Dolittle” starring Robert Downey Jr. and released in 2020 was based on Hugh Lofting’s stories.
- 9. Double Sin and other stories: scenes for the ITV television production of Agatha Christie’s short story were shot in the town.
- 10. The Hound of the Baskervilles: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle married his first wife, Louise Hawkins, in St Oswald’s Church in Thornton-in-Lonsdale in 1885. Surely it’s no coincidence that the surname of the architect who remodelled Ingleton Church in 1886 and also one of the local vicars was “Sherlock”. And if you’d like to tie your reading into sightseeing, scenes from the 2002 film were shot at Levens Hall, the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway and Canning Street in Liverpool.
When you’re in town, walk through the churchyard, where you’ll see the Rectory which housed the main office for the Cooperative Guild, and then visit The Vault in the Tourist Information Centre. The Vault is an interactive treasure trove of stories drawn from local history, including those of Margaret Llewelyn Davies, John Ruskin, JMW Turner, and the Brontë Sisters. At the moment there are seven stories, but they’re about to be joined by four more!
The Vault – Kirkby Lonsdale’s interactive storybank
The Vault – why did Margaret Llewelyn Davies keep a copy of Peter Pan?
About author
About Author
Tess Pike
Tess Pike is a qualified guide for Cumbria, Yorkshire, North East England, and Liverpool City Region. She speaks English and fluent German.
She loves her job as much today as she did 30 years ago, when she first trained in Cumbria. She sees guides as storytellers, who weave the history, geology, literature, legends, and landscapes of a place into an engaging commentary. She enjoys introducing visitors to destinations and landscapes that they may already feel they know through books or film.
She lives in Kirkby Lonsdale – well placed to welcome visitors to the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales National Parks.
Email. Tess.Pike@btinternet.com
Other posts by Tess Pike