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Sedbergh ( or ) is a town and civil parish in the ceremonial county of Cumbria. It falls within the historic boundaries of the West Riding of Yorkshire. Since April 2023, it has been administered by Westmorland and Furness local authority. The 2001 census gave the parish a population of 2,705, increasing at the 2011 census to 2,765. It lies about east of Kendal, north of Lancaster and about north of Kirkby Lonsdale, within the Yorkshire Dales National Park (the boundaries of which in this area follow those of the historic counties). It stands at the foot of Howgill Fells, on the north bank of the River Rawthey, which joins the River Lune below the town.
The civil parish covers a large area, including the hamlets of Millthrop, Catholes, Marthwaite, Brigflatts, High Oaks, Howgill, Lowgill and Cautley, the southern part of the Howgill Fells and the western part of Baugh Fell.
George Fox, a founder of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), spoke in the churchyard of St Andrew's Church (which Quakers of the day called a "steeple house") and on nearby Firbank Fell during his travels in the Northern England in 1652. Briggflatts Meeting House was built in 1675. It is the namesake of Basil Bunting's long poem Briggflatts (1966).
Sedbergh has three schools: Sedbergh Primary School, its main state funded primary school, Settlebeck School, its main state-funded secondary school, and Sedbergh School which is a co-educational public boarding school in the town.
Sedbergh's longstanding industries were farming and the production of woollen garments. Wool was taken to Factory for spinning into yarn, from which people in their homes knitted clothing such as hats and socks. These were sold, for instance, to coal miners of North-East England. This trade of long ago is remembered at Farfield Mill, just outside the town, which has an exhibition of weaving equipment and workshops for a number of artists and crafts workers.
Sedbergh is part of the Ewecross wapentake in the West Riding of Yorkshire. From 1894 to 1974 it was part of Sedbergh Rural District in the West Riding. In 1974 it was treated as part of the new administrative county of Cumbria, now abolished.
Sedbergh is part of the Sedbergh and Kirkby Lonsdale ward of Westmorland and Furness Council area.
Sedbergh has a parish council.
The town suffered an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in 2001. As livestock farming declined, it became a destination for walkers and ramblers. In 2015 the town was accepted as a Walkers are Welcome town.
The town golf club is located at Catholes-Abbott Holme.
A monthly booklet "Sedbergh and District Lookaround" gives details of local events and activities, including bus times and religious services. Sedbergh Lookaround.
The town is served by both BBC Radio Lancashire and BBC Radio Cumbria. Other radio stations including Heart North West, Smooth Lake District, Greatest Hits Radio Cumbria & South West Scotland, Stray FM and Dales Radio, a community based station.
The local newspaper that covers the town is The Westmorland Gazette.
St Gregory's Church is a redundant Anglican church on the A684 road about west of Sedbergh. It is designated a Grade II listed building recorded in the National Heritage List for England, maintained by Historic England and under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust.
The Cross Keys Temperance Inn is a 400-year-old pub now run by the National Trust.
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