borough's. From 1888 to 1974, Kendal was the centre of the administrative county of Westmorland, although Appleby was the traditional county town. The borough was abolished in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, becoming part of the South Lakeland district of Cumbria. Kendal as a successor parish kept its own town council. From April 2023, Kendal will be the seat of the new Westmorland and Furness council area. Cumbria and South Lakeland will be abolished at the same time. Parliament Kendal is part of the Westmorland and Lonsdale parliamentary constituency, of which Tim Farron is the current MP, representing the Liberal Democrats. Geography Kendal stands on the River Kent, surrounded by low hills and near the Lake District National Park formed in 1951, but not in it. which was laid out to exclude the town. Kendal's rural location makes it an important commercial centre for a wide area. It has been dubbed "The Gateway to The Lakes". Climate Kendal has a marine west-coast climate, category Cfb on the Köppen Climate Classification. It has moderately warm summers and mild winters with precipitation at all times of year. In July and August the average daily maximum and minimum are respectively. The corresponding ones in January and February are . Economy Kendal's early prosperity was based largely on cloth manufacture. In the 19th century it became a centre for the manufacture of snuff and shoes – the K Shoes company remained a major employer in the town until its factory closed in 2003. There are still several industries based in the town, such as Gilbert Gilkes & Gordon (manufacturers of pumps and turbines), James Cropper paper makers (based in Burneside, who make, at no profit, the paper for the Remembrance poppies for The Royal British Legion), Mardix (switchgear), Lakeland, and Kendal Nutricare, which has a facility for making baby milk in the north of the town. Tourism is now a major employer, but there is also a significant IT and design sector, enabled by increased broadband availability. On 26 February 2003 Kendal was granted Fairtrade Town status. Transport Kendal railway station lies on the Windermere Branch Line, with connections to Windermere to the north, and to Oxenholme Lake District station (on the West Coast Main Line) and Lancaster railway station to the south. Kendal is about from the M6 motorway. It is bypassed on the west side by the A591 road, linking