Overview of Sedbergh

Sedbergh (pronounced Sedber or even, by the locals, Sebber) is a small town in Cumbria, England. It lies about 10 miles (16 km) east of Kendal and about 10 miles (16 km) north of Kirkby Lonsdale. The town sits just within the Yorkshire Dales National Park. Sedbergh is at the foot of the Howgill Fells on the north bank of the River Rawthey which joins the River Lune about 2 mi (2 km) below the town. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, Sedbergh has a narrow main street lined with shops. From all angles, the hills rising behind the houses can be seen. Until the coming of the railway in 1861, these remote places were reachable only by walking over some fairly steep hills. The railway to Sedbergh was closed in 1965. George Fox, a founder of the Religious Society of Friends, spoke in St. Andrew's Church (which he called a "steeple house") and on nearby Firbank Fell during his travels in the North of England in 1652. Briggflatts Meeting House was built in 1675. It is the namesake of Basil Bunting's long poem, Briggflatts (1966). Sedbergh School is a co-educational boarding school in the town.