The Lakeland Pencil Museum

Tucked away in the market town of Keswick, the Derwent Pencil Museum is a surprisingly engaging stop for families, especially on a rainy Lake District day. Visitors enter through a replica graphite mine and follow the story of pencil-making in the region, from the discovery of local graphite in the 1500s to modern art supplies. Among the museum’s highlights are a giant colouring pencil nearly eight metres long, wartime spy pencils with hidden maps, and vintage machinery used in production. There are hands-on drawing stations, quizzes, and seasonal workshops that make the experience fun for children and adults alike. After exploring, visitors can enjoy a drink in the cosy café and browse a shop filled with unique stationery and artist-quality pencils. It’s a compact but memorable museum that inspires creativity while offering a dose of local history.

Photo credit: visitlakedistrict.com