History

From 1334 Milnthorpe, a part of South Westmorland, was a busy market village and port on the River Bela. Explosives and gunpowder were shipped from Sizergh down the river to the estuary. When the Kent railway viaduct was built, it closed the shipping corridor to the town, and the estuary silted up. Watermills also made use of the river and gave the town the first part of its name.

From the mid-1700's to the mid-1800's was a busy and affluent era for Milnthorpe. A turnpike road was constructed through the village and the centre of the village (now a conservation area) experienced a building boom. Today, an old coaching inn, the Cross Keys, is a modern hotel.

The church of St Thomas, overlooking the market square, was built in the 1800's and was the first in the town. Previously Milnthorpe was part of the parish of Heversham.

Industries such as canning, comb making, printing, and coach building brought employment to the town. A butcher sells fellbred meat products: lamb, beef, duck and more. Artists and craftspeople inhabit the area, and nearby is the Heron Corn Mill.

Milnthorpe sits in a slight valley with low hills on either side. It's still a busy little town with the A6 that leads to Kendal running through it.