Keswick

Keswick on Derwentwater, a small town of some 5000 population, is centrally located in the Northern part of the English Lake District and inside the National Park. Keswick is situated just off the A66, a 20 minute drive from junction 40 of the M6. It is a compact but busy town with an interesting variety of shops centred around its central Market Square. As well serving day to day needs there are a number of specialist shops and galleries. Dominating the Market Square is the Moot Hall which now houses the National Park Tourist Information Centre. It is an excellent place to start your visit to Keswick. The Moot Hall was built in 1813 on the site of a 16thC structure and was formerly a prison, a town hall and a farm produce market.

Derwentwater is only a short stroll via Hope Park with its beautiful formal gardens. A little further on from the boat landings is Friars Crag with its stunning views of Derwentwater and the Borrowdale valley. The viewpoint is one of the most popular places for photographs and only a short stroll from the town centre. The view was described by Ruskin as one of the three or four most beautiful views in Europe. It is called Friar's Crag because it is said to be the departure point for monks sailing to St Herbert's Island on pilgrimmage to where the Saint was said to live. The fictionary Old Brown from Squirrel Nutkin in the Beatrix Potter tale was also supposed to have lived on the island.

Keswick has a wide range of accommodation including B&Bs, guest houses, hotels, self catering cottages and apartments, camping and caravan sites. There is a good choice of pubs and restaurants offering a wide range of menus. There is also the Theatre by the Lake and a cinema for your evening entertainment.

Ther are many walks possible from the town centre including ascents of Latrigg, Skiddaw and Walla Crag, walks along the River Greta and to Castlerigg Stone Circle. Many visitors enjoy walks along the shores of Derwentwater. It is possible to combine a walk around the lake with a ride on the launch. In such magnificent surroundings it is not surprising that water based activities are also very popular. For walking routes click here.

Keswick makes an excellent base to tour the North Lakes using either your own car or using public transport. Buses leave from the central Keswick Bus Station to Borrowdale, Buttermere, Cockermouth, Penrith, Grasmere, Windermere and Ambleside. For bus timetables click here.

Keswick has a long history of success in the small market town section of both Cumbria and Britain in Bloom competitions. A hard working group of volunteers plan, plant and maintain much of the public space supported by Allerdale Borough Council's work on the roadside bedding and the help of Keswick Park's staff.

The known origins of Keswick date back at least to the church site at Crosthwaite, thought to date from AD553 and founded by St Kentigern. The Castlerigg Stone Circle is evidence of life in this area nearly four thousand years ago. The growth of the present town rested on its importance as a market centre and the woollen and mining industries. The Market Charter was given to Keswick in the 13thC . There is now little to be seen of the early woollen manufacturing industry which was mainly sited along the banks of the swift running streams and used the wool from local flocks of sheep. The mining for minerals and metals, such as lead and copper is now almost finished. However the quarrying of slate at Honister Slate Mine continues and can be seen at the very popular visitor centre at the top of the Honister Pass in Borrowdale. The History of Pencil Museum is also on display in the Cumberland Pencil Museum in the cente of Keswick.

With the smooth slopes of Skiddaw rising to the North and the three mile stretch of Derwentwater tot he South, leading naturally into the steep sided and craggy Borrowdale Valley, Keswick has been an attraction for visitors for centuries. The scenic beauties of the area were publicised and immortalised by poets such as Coleridge and Southey who lived at Greta Hall in Keswick. Subsequently the town gained from the work of Canon Rawnsley, a founder of the National Trust who established the Keswick School of Industrial Arts.