Amid mountains and a lake, Keswick is a popular village in the Lake District. Browse the 700-year-old market and learn about the commune’s association with poets Samuel Coleridge and Robert Southey.
Experience the region’s creative scene at the Keswick Museum and Art Gallery. Its collections tell the story of the village’s social and industrial progression. Browse through galleries showcasing works by local artists and writers. Learn about the area’s history via exhibits of pre-historic tools, Roman ceramics and medieval relics.
See a 26-foot-long (8-metre) colored pencil at the Cumberland Pencil Museum. It is the former site of a large pencil manufacturing industry and has exhibits including gadget pencils from World War II. Participate in a workshop to draw with fine art pencils.
See the ornate interior and large organ of the medieval Crosthwaite Church. Look for the memorial to poet Robert Southey. Twelve consecration crosses are hung inside and outside the church.
Walk east for 1.6 mile (2.6 kilometres) from the village centre to find the Castlerigg Stone Circle. The ceremonial site dating back to 3,000 B.C. is from the Neolithic period. Snap photos of the stones with a dramatic mountain backdrop.
Aside from cultural highlights, the village is a common base for exploring spectacular terrain. Prepare for your ascent of Scafell Pike, England’s highest mountain. Start climbing from Borrowdale for the most scenic route.
Between the mountain and Keswick lies the vast lake of Derwent Water. Enjoy views of the woodland surrounding the lake and the islands that decorate it. Rent a boat from the small marina near Keswick for an adventure on the water.
The village is north of Derwent Water in the northern section of the Lake District National ParkOpens in a new window. Take a bus or drive northwest for 30 miles (48 kilometres) from WindermereOpens in a new window to reach the village. LondonOpens in a new window is a bit more than 300 miles (500 kilometres) south.
Relish the diverse scenery and historic sites in Keswick, where natural beauty inspired some of England’s greatest poetry.
