Miles Thompson, Thomas Sandes, and Sandes Hospital green plaque

This green commemorative plaque records: SANDES HOSPITAL. In this yard, Thomas Sandes (1606 - 81), cloth merchant and former Mayor of Kendal, founded a school and eight almshouses for poor widows. The gatehouse, once the master's house, had single storey wings and housed the school and a library in the chamber above the gateway. The houses were rebuilt in 1852 by Kendal architect Miles Thompson. In 1886 the school merged with Kendal Grammar School which was succeeded in 1980 by Kirkbie Kendal School whose trustees still own the property. The datestone shows shearman's tools and the Sandes family arms. Recorded plaque organisation: Kendal Civic Society.

Thomas Sandes, a cloth merchant and former Mayor of Kendal, established Sandes Hospital in 1681 as an educational and charitable institution for poor widows, reflecting his significant philanthropic contributions to the community. Miles Thompson, a notable Kendal architect, oversaw the rebuilding of the almshouses in 1852, preserving Sandes's legacy through architectural renovation.