
Keswick is located at the north end of Derwent Water, beneath the considerable bulk of Skiddaw Peak. The town can lay claim to being something of a capital for the northern Lakes and makes an excellent base for travelling in the region.
The area is strong in literary associations; the poet Southey lived here from 1803-1843, and Samuel Coleridge inhabited Greta Hall (now part of Keswick School) from 1800-1809. On the outskirts of Keswick is Crosthwaite Church, established by St Kentigern in AD 533. Southey is buried in the churchyard, as is Canon Rawnsley, co-founder of the National Trust.
Keswick has a long heritage of mining; when Queen Elizabeth I enacted legislation aimed at improving the English mining industry she encouraged German miners to settle in the country. A thriving community settled near Keswick and operated copper mines in Borrowdale and Newlands Valley, as well as a smelter in nearby Brigham. Graphite mines opened in 1555 and the Cumberland Pencil Company was for many years one of the principal employers in Keswick. The company has a museum near its works yard at Greta Bridge.

The Moot Hall was a product of the 16th-century prosperity brought by the mining boom, though the building was later remodelled in the Victorian period. Many of the buildings in central Keswick boast 19th-century frontages over much older medieval cores. In the Edwardian period, Keswick became a popular leisure centre, with a variety of boarding houses and hotels springing up around the town. In the hills around the town, a plethora of Italianate villas sprouted up.
A popular attraction is the Keswick Museum and Art Gallery, located on the north-east side of town in Fitz Park, where visitors can see a scale model of the Lake District; an invaluable aid to planning travel!. Just outside Keswick is Castlerigg Stone Circle, one of the most atmospheric such circles in England. Located in a natural amphitheatre in the hills, Castlerigg can be reached by easy walks.
Related:
Eden Valley
About Keswick
Address: Keswick,
Lake District,
Cumbria,
England
Attraction Type: Town
Location map
OS: NY2723
Photo Credit: David Ross and Britain Express
NEARBY HISTORIC ATTRACTIONS
Heritage Rated from 1- 5 (low to exceptional) on historic interest
Derwent Island House - 0.4 miles (Historic Building)
Keswick Museum - 0.4 miles (Museum)
Castlerigg - 0.9 miles (Prehistoric Site)
Crosthwaite, St Kentigern's Church - 1.1 miles (Historic Church)
Derwentwater - 2 miles (Countryside)
Lodore Falls Waterfall - 2.6 miles (Countryside)
Dodd Wood - 3 miles (Countryside)
Mirehouse - 3.9 miles (Historic House)