Keswick Cumbria.

Your find Keswick in northwest England at the heart of the Lake District situated on the edge of the ‘queen of the lakes’ Derwent Water. The area offers some good, but very busy, walking country; in fact you can’t walk any distance without meeting other people - unlike North of the Border. The market town it self was exceptional busy because at the end of July and the beginning of August Keswick hosts a Christian Conference and I was reliably informed that this brings in an extra 15000 visitors. The town is also famous for the amount of walking equipment shops and it is said that if you can’t get a pair of walking boots/shoes in Keswick to satisfy, you can’t get them anywhere.

 

Our well organised base.... 

.... on the edge of ....

.... Derwent Water.

The very well organised Keswick Camping and Caravan Club Site was our base for our three nights stay. The site had got over its flooding and was back up and running but some of the shops and houses in the town were still to have their renovations finished including The Pencil Museum which was not due to be opened until the end of July which was a shame because it was one of the places I particularly wanted to visit after seeing it in Ben Wheatley’s Sightseers (2012).

 

The Dandelion Cafe.

Nichol End Marina.

After looking around the town and lunch by the Loch we walked around the eastern edge of Derwent Water as far as Nichol End Marina via coffee at the Dandelion Café, the banks of which form a beautiful garden down to the waters.  

 

Theatre by the Lake.

Tours of Derwent water.

The view from Friar's Crag.

On the Sunday we attempted the western side of the Loch. Here you go past the Theatre by the Lake that must be one of the most picturesque settings for any theatre.  Each year this modern looking building stages up to nine productions of its own on its two stages. Presentations that have won it much critical acclaim. It also plays host to literature, jazz, film and mountain festivals. Moving on past the boathouse and landing stages where visitors can get trips around Derwent Water, you get some splendid views of the countryside surrounding the Loch especially from Friar’s Crag. After lunch at Strandshag Bay the circular walk was continued back to the bustle of Keswick for ice cream and a sit in the town centre to watch the world go by.