Gates open at 8am on 9 and 10 September at Crooklands. Book by 8 September for £23 adult tickets, and take the free half-hourly bus from Kendal Bus Station.

The Westmorland County Show returns to Lane Farm, Crooklands, on Wednesday 9 and Thursday 10 September 2026. Gates open at 8am and close at 6pm on both days.

Two things are worth doing before then. Advance tickets are cheaper than gate prices, and the booking page says the discount closes on 8 September. And the free show bus from Kendal Bus Station runs every half hour, which takes the drive and the approach queue out of the day entirely.

Tickets, and the 8 September deadline

The society sells through its own ticket site, which prices each day separately. Both days cost the same.

Ticket Booked in advance On the day
Adult, 16 to 64 £23.00 £25.00
Concession, 65+ and students £22.00 £23.00
Child, 5 to 15 £4.00 £5.00
Family, 2 adults and 3 children £54.00 £60.00
  • Under 5s go free.
  • Parking on site is free, on both days.
  • A free carer ticket is available, with supporting evidence needed at booking.
  • The show guide (£4) and the show catalogue (£5) are sold as e-vouchers to exchange on site.
  • ID may be requested for concession tickets.

A family booking in advance saves £6. The booking page’s own banner says the Wednesday discounts end on 8 September, the day before the show opens, so treat that as the deadline for both days.

The free bus from Kendal, and when it runs

This is the part most people miss. For the County Show only, the society puts on a free bus from Kendal, operated this year by KT’s Coaches of Kendal. The 2026 timetable is published as a PDF on the show’s visitor page.

  • 18 departures from Kendal Bus Station, every 30 minutes.
  • First bus 0915. Last bus 1745.
  • The journey takes about 20 minutes each way.
  • Services alternate between two routes. The A65 buses call at Endmoor; the A6 buses call at Milnthorpe, outside the square.
  • Each bus loops. An A65 service out returns via Milnthorpe, and an A6 service out returns via Endmoor.
  • The last bus back reaches Kendal Bus Station at 1825, having left the showfield at 1805.

There is also a shuttle from Milnthorpe to the showground every 30 minutes from 9.15am until 11.45am. The operator says extra buses have been added this year, and warns that heavy traffic may delay the published times.

The free Westmorland County Show bus from Kendal Diagram of the free show bus loop. The first A65 service leaves Kendal Bus Station at 0915, calls at Endmoor at 0925, reaches the Showfield at 0935, then returns via Milnthorpe at 0940 and arrives back at Kendal Bus Station at 0955. Buses leave Kendal every 30 minutes from 0915 until 1745, and the last bus back reaches Kendal at 1825. The free show bus loops out one way and back the other Times shown are the first A65 service. Buses leave Kendal Bus Station every 30 minutes from 0915 to 1745. 0915 Kendal Bus Station 0925 Endmoor A65 services only 0935 Showfield Crooklands 0940 Milnthorpe outside the square 0955 Kendal Bus Station A6 services run the loop the other way round, calling at Milnthorpe outbound and Endmoor on the way back. Source: KT's Coaches County Show bus timetable, published by the Westmorland County Agricultural Society. Graphic by Kendal News
The free show bus from Kendal runs as a loop, out on one road and back on the other. Source: KT's Coaches 2026 County Show bus timetable.

Three lanes go one way on both days

Westmorland and Furness Council has advertised a temporary traffic order for the two show days, reference TTROW/19919. It makes three lanes around the showground one way, to keep traffic moving in and out.

  • B6385 Crooklands Bridge, from the A65 to Milton Lane: south westbound only, 0700 to 1300 on both days. Service buses are exempt.
  • U5356 Moss End Lane, from the A6070 to the B6385: north westbound only, 0700 to 1400 on both days.
  • U5356 Moss End Lane, from the B6385 to the A6070: south eastbound only, 1400 to 2000 on both days.
  • U5357 Milton Lane, for about 290 metres south east of the B6385: closed to vehicles.

The order is advertised as an intention rather than made, so it can still change. It is published in full on the Public Notice Portal. More on what else is happening on local roads is on our Kendal roadworks and travel page.

Driving, and the satnav warning

The show’s own visitor page asks people to follow the County Show signage and not satellite navigation on show days. Its directions are:

  • From the M6 northbound: leave at junction 35, take the A601(M), then the A6, then the A6070, and follow the car park signs.
  • From the M6 southbound: leave at junction 36 and follow the signage.
  • From Kendal and the Lakes: leave the A591 at Brettargh Holt or Sizergh, join the A590 towards Barrow, then follow signs via the A6 through Milnthorpe.
  • From Kendal, eastern side: the A65 to Crooklands.
  • From Kirkby Lonsdale: the A65 towards M6 junction 36, then follow the signage.

The nearest railway station is Oxenholme Lake District, about five miles away, with taxis from the rank.

Accessibility and dogs

  • Blue Badge forward parking is available across the road from the showground, first come first served.
  • Accessible toilets are sited around the ground, and Mobiloo provides a fully accessible unit with an adult-sized changing bench and a ceiling hoist.
  • Wheelchair and mobility scooter hire is run by Advanced Mobility, bookable on 01274 297777.
  • Dogs are allowed on a short fixed lead and under control, but not in the Food Hall or the poultry marquees.

What is on

The society describes a livestock show with classes for cattle, sheep, pigs, goats and alpacas, alongside heavy and light horses. Around the rings it lists:

  • show jumping
  • the foxhounds
  • Cumberland and Westmorland wrestling
  • the Learning for Life marquee
  • WI craft displays
  • rural craft have-a-go areas
  • a food hall the society calls the largest local food hall in the North West

It puts attendance at over 37,000 visitors a year.

As of 25 August the society’s page for the show still says “2026 timetables and traders, coming soon”, so the ring-by-ring programme was not published when this was written. Money raised goes to the Westmorland County Agricultural Society, which supports farming and the countryside.

What it means for you

  • Book before 8 September if you are going. It is £2 an adult and £6 a family.
  • If you live in Kendal, use the bus. It is free, it runs every 30 minutes from the bus station, and it is the one option that avoids both the queue and the one-way lanes.
  • If you are driving, follow the signs rather than the satnav, and expect delay on the approach at peak times.
  • If you live at Crooklands, Endmoor or Milnthorpe, the two mornings to plan around are Wednesday 9 and Thursday 10 September, from 7am.

Details here come from the show’s visitor page, its show page, its ticket site, the published bus timetable and the council’s advertised traffic order. Confirm times and prices with the organiser before you travel.

More Kendal local information: things to do in Kendal, roadworks and travel, trains to London and house prices.