Kendal is a small town in Cumbria, best known as a center for Lake District tourism and as the home of Kendal mint cake, which became world-famous when Sir Ernest Shackleton brought them along on his expedition to Antarctica. Its buildings, constructed with the local gray limestone, have earned it the nickname the `Auld Grey Town`. One of the main attractions is the Museum of Natural History and Archaeology, one of the oldest such museums in the country. Another popular attraction is Kendal Castle, the ruins of which date from the 12th century.