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Allerdale Borough Council
Allerdale House
Workington
Cumbria CA14 3YJ
Tel: 01900 702702
Fax: 01900 702507
Email: enquiries@allerdale.gov.uk

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01900 702702

01900 702507

enquiries@allerdale.gov.uk

Allerdale Borough Council,
Allerdale House,
Workington,
Cumbria,
CA14 3YJ

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You are here: Home Page » Leisure and culture » Museums and galleries » Keswick museum

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Keswick Museum and Art Gallery

Where is it?

Fitz Park, Station Road, Keswick, Cumbria, CA12 4NF

You can view a location map.

Links to local transport and roads information are also available.

Keswick Museum has been ranked third as one of 'The World's Strangest Museums' on a knowledge website called helium.com.

When is it open?

The museum and art galllery are currently closed to the general public until 1 April 2009.

However, staff are still on hand to arrange research or group visits. If you would like to set up a research or group visit please contact the museum on 017687 73263 or e-mail the Curator on jamie.barnes@keswickmuseum.co.uk

How much does it cost?

Admission is still FREE.

The Museum

The Museum tells the story of Keswick and the surrounding area. Keswick has a unique history, with lots of 'firsts', including the first pencils, some very famous residents, and lots of beautiful scenery so awe inspiring that early tourists were left terrified.

The Museum was purpose built in 1897, is made of local green volcanic 'slate' and St. Bees sandstone. It is set in the beautiful Fitz Park, with tennis, putting, bowls and large children's playground nearby, riverside walks and picnic area.

It is the only purpose built museum in the Lake District, and it still retains its Victorian feel. There is a lot to see in the Museum and children love it. Some of the stories in the Museum include:

The Discovery of the Lake District as a tourist destination over 200 years ago
The honeycombing of the area by mining for precious metals by order of Queen Elizabeth I
The first recreational use of the fells as the sport of Rock Climbing was invented, and the amazing photographs taken by the mountaineering Abraham brothers.
The discovery of Lakeland's beauty by the romantic writers and poets of the 1800s.
The development of the environmental movement with the founding of The National Trust, principally by one of Keswick's leading citizens, Canon Hardwicke Rawnsley.

In addition the Museum exhibits:

A stunning collection of crystals and minerals
Flintoft's amazing 4m Scale Model of the Lake District
Original letters by Southey, Wordsworth and Walpole
The famous 664 year old cat
The remarkable Musical Stones, played by Royal Command for Queen Victoria.
Napoleon's Teacup!
Britain's rarest fish
The skin of a giant cobra
A mantrap

Facilities

The museum has access for Wheelchair users and is level through out. The museum does not have toilet facilities, the nearest public toilets including a RADAR toilet are on the old Railway Station platform. This is about 300 meters away at the top of Station Road. There are other public toilets in the area and the Museum will give you directions to these.

How to find us

On foot: From the Town Centre follow the pedestrian finger post signs for "Museum & Art Gallery". Walk down Station Road, over the bridge over the River Greta, with Fitz Park on either side of the road. The Museum is about 200m on the left, the large stone building on its own at the edge of the Park.

By car: The Museum is signed on the large brown and white signs as "Museum & Art Gallery" from the main routes into the Town. Parking is available in front of the Museum on Station Road. Free off road parking is available at the rear of Keswick Leisure Pool, approximately 200m from the Museum.

By public transport: By rail to either Windermere Rail Station, then catch the 555 bus outside to Keswick or by train to Penrith and then catch the X4/X5 bus outside to Workington. Both buses stop at the 'County corner' stop at the end of Station Road, a 2 minute walk away, with the YHA close by, at the edge of the river.

By cycle routes: Keswick Museum lies on the C2C (Sea to Sea) Cycle route, number 71. For more information contact the museum.

You can download a history of the Keswick School of Industrial Art below:

Downloadable Documents

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File name		Size	Download time
	History of the Keswick School of Industrial Art in PDF format	166 Kb	47 secs @ 28.8k, 24 secs @ 56k
	History of the Keswick School of Industrial Art in Word format	46 Kb	13 secs @ 28.8k, 7 secs @ 56k

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