We just had a nice easy breakfast in our little apartment before heading off on our Lakes District touring day! Our first stop was Keswick at the Cumberland Derwent Pencil Museum. It wasn’t open yet when we arrived, so we parked the car and walked down to a market in the town. It was a good market with a wide variety of stalls. Back at the Pencil Museum… We learnt quite a bit about how Derwent Pencils are made and a few interesting historical facts about pencils. We saw the world’s largest pencil – it was pretty darn big!
Did you know?
Americans worked tirelessly to invent a pen that could write in space, the Russians just took a pencil!
Did you know?
Once upon a time, back in the seventeen hundreds, graphite was actually worth more than gold!
After the Pencil Museum, we went and had lunch at the market. From there we jumped back in the car and headed out to the Neolithic Stone Circles, called Castleriggs. It was a series of stones situated in such a way as to create a large circle. It was really quite amazing to think that they have been there for over 4500 years! Then we drove to Grasmere to try some of Sarah Nelson’s Celebrated Gingerbread. It was quite unlike any gingerbread I’ve ever tried before, but very nice! After that, we had a Kelly’s ice cream by lake Windermere in Ambelside. Afterwards, we went to Beatrix Potter’s house, Hilltop, which is now a National Trust property. The house and gardens were almost exactly as they were when Miss Potter lived there.
Even Mum’s old set of pencils made it into the museum!
There were so many pencils!
This the Neolithic stone circle.
Another stone fence!
Lake Windermere.
Beatrix Potter’s Cottage.
Tara
thekellytravelblog 
Hello Kelly travellers.Thoroughly enjoying your blog – hearing about all your adventures and culinary experiences. ?leave the shorts at home for summer in Scotland. Best wishes.
Gerard – not sure if you would have heard the tragic news about Phil Walsh’s passing. So sad.
Well, well another fascinating day, incredibly interesting, great to read about the rocks, Gingerbread, Kelly’s ice cream looked really good and Beatrix Potter’s Cottage. Looking forward day 14, have another great one. LOL xxxx
I loved my Derwents! I passed them on to Jenn and she passed them on to Jess, then they got lost at school! I like the “fascinating facts” section. Well well Cornish Kellys hey? Did you have any pasties? Have any of you read Duncton Wood? You would look at the stone circle a bit differently if you had.