Pencil Museum
Keswick's Pencil Museum is the home of the biggest colouring pencil in the world. It 7.91 metres (26 ft) long, and weighs 446.36 kilograms (984.1 lb).
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Pencil Museum Details
Enter the museum through the replica of the graphite mine which saw the foundation of the pencil industry more than 350 years ago. Then you can follow the path of pencil making from the reign of Elizabeth l to the present day. Through words, pictures and carefully restored machinery, the Cumberland Pencil Museum takes you through the fascinating history of the pencil. A quiz for children makes the whole visit an adventure in discovery. The three main constituents of any pencil are the outer finish, the wooden casing and the core. The casing is Californian cedar and there is a display showing the production of the 'slats' which form the basis of the pencils made here. The manufacturing processes of the core are explained, from the original use of local graphite to modern methods. You can see examples of some of the machinery used in the different stages of production. There is a painting machine - some pencils can have up to ten layers on the outside. Other displays and video presentations demonstrate the different uses of pencils and there's an area for children to experiment with different pencils and crayons. The museum shop is the Company's flagship store, offering the most comprehensive range of Derwent and Lakeland products anywhere in the UK. In addition, they stock a wide range of accessories and an extensive range of art related books. There is a small coffee shop selling a wide range of refreshments, soup, sandwiches, paninis, and cakes. The Pencil Museum closed after major flooding in December 2015. Now, after a major refurbishment, it's reopening on 26 May 2017. Grid Reference: NY 26382 23856 Address (near): Carding Mill Ln, Keswick CA12 5NR, UK
Difficulty
Open
Distance
N/A
Estimated time
N/A
Region
Keswick
Nearby Parks Around Pencil Museum
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Nearby Points of Interest Around Pencil Museum
Use nearby POIs to quickly expand your options beyond Pencil Museum while the map context is still fresh.
0.3 mi away
Keswick Information Centre
Open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
0.3 mi away
Moot Hall
This imposing building houses the National Park's Keswick Information Centre. The present Moot Hall date s from 1813, but there was a building on the site long before the beginning of the 19th century.
0.6 mi away
Theatre on the Lake
The theatre, hailed as "the most beautifully located and friendly theatre in Britain", is a short stroll from Derwentwater on the edge of Keswick, amid the magnificent western fells of the Lake District.
0.7 mi away
Derwent Water
Just south of Keswick, Derwent Water is one of the park's most popular destinations.
0.7 mi away
Derwentwater Way
A scenic 10 mile waymarked walk around Derwentwater, Queen of the Lakes.
