Keswick and Points South West
Take M6 south to exit 40 (Penrith). Travel west on A66 to Keswick.
Just under 1 hour’s drive.
Keswick’s stunning setting in the very heart of the Lake
District and its reputation as England’s adventure capital make it an ideal
destination for a day out.
A thriving market town with a rich variety of shops, galleries and attractions,
Keswick has something for everyone – whether you’re here to walk in
Wainwright’s footsteps, soar like an osprey or enjoy the views that inspired
Wordsworth, Ruskin, Coleridge and Southey to write and Turner and Constable to paint.
Mountain summits, forest trails and lakeside paths – Keswick has them all
in abundance, so it is no surprise that you can enjoy almost any outdoor pursuit–
for a full list see the “Exclusively Keswick” brochure in your cottage.
Take a stroll to Derwentwater, hop on one of the beautiful wooden steamers and enjoy
a breathtaking journey down the lake.
The home of the famed mountaineering Abraham’s brothers boasts more outdoor
shops per square mile than anywhere else in the country, so you’re sure to
find the right kit for your adventures. The town hosts a mountaineering festival
in May and a two day beer extravaganza in June. Keswick has much more to offer than
the Great Outdoors though; here you can explore antique shops, second hand bookshops
and galleries specialising in local artists’ paintings, photography and pottery.
In addition there are jewellery shops where you may create your own individual piece.
The wonderful Theatre by the Lake, described by Dame Judi Dench as “a little
gem”, is Cumbria’s only year-round theatre and there is an abundance
of museums, including the Cumberland Pencil Museum, home to the world’s longest
pencil (measuring nearly 7 feet long).
A twice-weekly market comes to town on Thursdays and Saturdays and there is a special
Victorian market in December.
The attractions listed below are just some of the many on offer in Keswick. For
a fuller list visit
The Great Outdoors
Boating
Keswick Launch, Derwentwater
Enjoy a 50 minute sight seeing cruise around Lake Derwentwater, or hop on and off
throughout the day until you get back to Keswick.
7th February – 26th March
Outdoor Activities and Pony Trekking
Rookin House Farm,
Troutbeck, Ullswater CA11 0SS
www.rookinhouse.co.uk
Off the A66 8 miles west of Penrith and 8 miles east of Keswick
A fabulous range of outdoor activities for all ages including:
- Archery
- Argo Cat
- Assault Course
- Go Karts
- Fishing
- Human Bowling
- JCB operating
- Quad biking
- Rifle shooting
- Zip wire
Honister Slate Mine, Borrowdale
A unique award winning experience, England's last remaining working slate mine and
England's very first Via Ferrata.
www.honister-slate-mine.co.uk
Museums and Galleries
Cumberland Pencil Museum
Southey Works, Keswick CA12 5NG
Tel: 017687 73626
www.pencilmuseum.co.uk
Keswick Museum and Art Gallery
A Victorian Cabinet of Curiosities with a large Art Gallery attached. Artefacts
range from the Musical stones of Skiddaw to a 200 year-old mummified cat.
Fitz Park, Station Rd., Keswick
Tel: 017687 73263
www.keswickmuseum.co.uk
Puzzling Place
A collection of eye-popping optical illusions that challenge common perception.
Museum Square, Keswick CA12 5DZ
Tel: 017687 75102
www.puzzlingplace.co.uk
Theatre By The Lake
Lakeside, Keswick CA12 5DJ
www.theatrebythelake.com
The theatre is situated at Lakeside in Keswick with its famed views across Derwentwater,
Borrowdale and the Western Fells. Theatre by the Lake has been sensitively designed
to complement this unique and beautiful location. It has a traditional Lakeland
exterior of locally-sourced stone, slate and roughcast, in keeping with Keswick's
distinctive architecture.
Mirehouse
A family-run 17th century house with an interesting collection of letters from all
the literary greats inspired by the Lakes – Wordsworth, Tennyson, Southey
and Carlyle.
Lovely gardens and 4 wonderful adventure playgrounds.
Underskiddaw, Bassenthwaite, Keswick CA12
Tel: 017687 72287
www.mirehouse.com
