Keswick – Your Kind of Town

Keswick (pronounced Kezzick) is recorded as far back as the 13th Century, as Kesewic, meaning ‘cheese farm’. Set on the shore of hauntingly beautiful Derwentwater, our vibrant market town is now one of the most popular holiday spots in the Lake District. A large open-air market is still held every Saturday (with a smaller one on Thursdays) in market square, where you will also find the historic ‘Moot Hall’, now the Tourist Information Centre. At various points throughout the year, Keswick plays host to Beer, Jazz, Film, and Mountain Festivals as well as a number of other countryside events. For its small size, our town boasts a large number of attractions: there are two museums, a highly regarded theatre, the classic Alhambra Cinema (wonderful architecture), there’s even a leisure centre if you can find time for a work-out or a swim. That’s in addition to our two lovely, colourful parks, just a few minutes’ walk from the centre plus lots of good restaurants and ‘proper’ pubs (our favourite is the Dog and Gun).

Its location makes Keswick the ideal base to tour the Western, Central and Northern Lakes, and the setting is spectacular. The town is tucked away between Skiddaw (the highest point in the Lakes) and the northern shore of Derwentwater; where you’ll find the most fabulous views, as well as the Keswick Launch which will give you a full tour of the lake, or set you down at various jetties from which you can start on some of the many walks in the area. Keswick offers everything a person who loves the great outdoors could want – from fell walking and rock climbing to the serenity of the valley and Derwentwater itself.

For more in-depth information on the many things to see and do here, a good start is to visit www.keswick.org the official tourist website, which has ideas on everything from walking routes to where to eat, and www.golakes.co.uk the website of Cumbria tourism.

Useful links to make the most of your trip:
(just click on the name)