D0g Kennel Wood

I first found the site of the wood conservation organisation in Queens Road some years ago, on that day in particular I was fortunate to find not a soul working or walking in the grounds, I enjoyed a wonderful peaceful half day in the grounds without disturbance or in knowledge of the history, that was until last week.

BYGONE DAYS by Arthur R Niholls, historian and vice chairman of Kendal Civic Society.

DOGS. Either you love them or hate them. Two problems still beset us today, that of dog mess in the streets and parks, and dangerous types of dogs attacking people. Aproblem that was only eradicated n Britain in 1922 was that of mad dogs. That is dogs suffering from rabies.

A rabid dog would foam at the mouth, the disease causing such distress that it would bite anything at han.

When it bit a human being it transmitted rabies or hydrophobia, which is a craving for or fear of wather.

Its symptoms were terrible and it was often fatal; in 1838 there were 24 cases of humans dying from the disease. What had all that do do with Kendal?

Such events happened too often even here and action was taken in 1846 resulting in the municipal dog pound or kennel being constructed in a part of Serpentine Woods known as Dog Kennel Wook, which is now the BTCV tree nursery, where the ruins my still lie. A plaque was fixed to the wall of the kennel reading 'Kendal Dog Kennel - Erected by Private Subscription' 1846' the plaque is now preserved in Kendal Museum's store.

Various attempts were made nationally to control the scourge but it was not until the Dogs Act of 1871 that powers were given to local authorities to take measures such as fining owners and destroying mad dogs.

Thankfully, we have little fear of catching rabies today. if ou hear the name Dog Kennel Wood you will know why it was so called.

End of News Piece