Keswick

The location:

Keswick is a delightful market town within the Lake District National Park. Keswick sits on the shores of Derwentwater, with Bassenthwaite Lake and Thirlmere close by, and Skiddaw, Helvellyn and Scafell all within easy reach. Windermere, Kendal and Carlisle are all easily accessible, as are Penrith to the east and Workington to the west, which makes it a great town for exploring the Lake District.

Did you know?

In the 13th century Keswick was recorded as Cesewic, which suggests that it was some kind of cheese market. Speaking of markets, in 1276 Keswick was granted a market charter and the market is still held in the town every Saturday. In 2005, Keswick became a Fairtrade Town.

The world’s largest pencil is to be found in the Cumberland Pencil Museum in Keswick, a throwback to the discovery of black lead in Seathwaite in the 16th century, which triggered the pencil making industry in the town.

Famous people

Samuel Taylor Coleridge and his family lived in Keswick, moving there in 1800.

Robert Southey, another ‘Lake Poet’, and his wife came to stay with Coleridge. And William Wordsworth was only down the road in Grasmere, a trip Coleridge did many times in order to visit him.

Beatrix Potter used to spend her holidays in Keswick, staying at Lingholm and Fawe Park, two stately homes on Derwentwater.

Things to do

As well as walking and generally exploring the Lake District, there are plenty of things to do in Keswick. There are a number of festivals that attract large numbers of visitors, such as the annual film festival, the annual jazz festival or the annual beer festival. Or for the more energetic, there’s the annual half marathon.

Permanent fixtures include the Theatre by the Lake, the Cars of the Stars Motor Museum, the Keswick Museum and Art Gallery and the famous Cumberland Pencil Museum.

See Also: The Patterdale Suite in Windermere