Derwentwater - 4 Things to Know Before Visiting

Walla Crag is a fabulous viewpoint on the eastern side of Derwent Water, much of the panorama is hidden until having climbed through the trees the ascent of Cat Gill is left behind, and the crag is finally gained. The summit cairn once stood much closer to the edge than it does now having been moved back to the official Ordnance Survey spot height. The summit lies a little way back from the brink, the smooth heather-clad hinterland then dropping to the broad depression of Low Moss. Beyond here t

Cat Bells is a fell in the English Lake District in the county of Cumbria. It has a modest height of 451 m but despite this, it is one of the most popular fells in the area. Its distinctive shape catches the attention of many visitors to the Lakes who feel compelled to climb to the summit after seeing it from the viewpoint of Friars' Crag on the opposite side of Derwentwater.

Lodore Falls are located behind the Lodore Falls Hotel near the Grange end of Derwentwater. The waterfall, a must for Victorian tourists staying at Keswick, is formed by the beck from Watendlath Tarn cascading over huge boulders for a distance of some 100 feet. Although it is spectacular in the rainy season, it can dry to a trickle in the summer.

Derwent Pencil Museum is the home of the first pencil, and the Cumberland Pencil Company, manufacturers of Derwent pencil perfection since 1832. It is home to one of the biggest colouring pencils in the world, the idea of technical manager Barbara Murray. It is particularly popular with visitors from the county of Yorkshire, due to the importance of pencil production for the local economy during the 1930s.

Keswick Museum and Art Gallery in the Fitz Park was built at the turn of the century for ‘the inhabitants of Keswick and the visitors thereto. The local history collection stretches back to Roman times and includes such items as the famous 700-year-old cat, a penny-farthing cycle, and a man trap. One of the prime exhibits is a set of musical stones, variously termed the stone dulcimer, the rock harmonica or the geological piano.

Castlerigg is perhaps the most atmospheric and dramatically sited of all British stone circles, with panoramic views and the mountains of Helvellyn and High Seat as a backdrop. It is not just its location that makes this one of the most important British stone circles. Thought to have been constructed about 3000 BC, it is potentially one of the earliest in the country. Taken into guardianship in 1883, it was also one of the first monuments in the country to be recommended for preservation by th