We are a fully accredited museum, managed by a charitable company on behalf of the Keswick Museum & Art Gallery Trust.
The building and collection was originally owned and managed by Fitz Park Trust and was established in October 1882 and opened to the public in 1898. The museum and the collection were transferred to the Keswick Museum and Art Gallery Trust in 1995 with Allerdale Borough Council as the sole trustee. With the creation of the unitary authority in 2023, trusteeship transferred to Cumberland Council, who hold the collection in trust for the public. Fitz Park Trust still continues to operate separately with Keswick Town Council as sole trustee.
The management of the museum is now in the hands of Keswick Museum & Art Gallery Management Ltd which started life as a community group in 2007 and, following a major renovation funded mainly by a grant of £1,842,455 by the Heritage Lottery Fund and completed in 2014, it took on a 125 year lease on the property and entered into a management agreement for the collection. The organisation gained charitable status in 2014.
Keswick Museum and Art Gallery Ltd is a limited company which was formed in 12th January 2007 with Company Number 06051644. It gained charitable status in April 2014, Charity Number 1156330.
Our Collections
We care for around 15,000 objects in our collection, which reflects life in the Keswick area.
Our collection themes consist of:
- Social and industrial history
- Geology and natural history
- The work of local artists, writers, and craftspeople
Only 5-10% of the collection is on display at any one time.
Our collection contains objects collected in the past from many parts of North Cumbria. However, we now only collect from the Derwent Seven Parishes (approximately the area covered by postcode CA12):
- Above Derwent
- Bassenthwaite
- Borrowdale
- Keswick
- St Johns (Castlerigg and Wythburn)
- Threlkeld
- Underskiddaw
Our Collections Development Policy covers acquisitions, repatriation and restitution, spoliation, and disposal. It contains a summary of Keswick Museum’s collection as it is now and identifies the areas where we wish to develop the collection. This policy document is reviewed every five years and approved by both the Board of Keswick Museum & Art Gallery Management Ltd. and by Cumberland Council.
Our Awards
Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence 2019
Keswick Museum Trip Advisor page
Best Partnership Project finalist 2019
Cumbria life Culture award page
Museum of the Year
On the 12th of November 2015, the museum was awarded ‘Museum of the Year’ at the Cumbria Life Culture Awards! The museum was also a finalist for ‘Exhibition of the Year’ for Wainwright: A Love Letter to the Lakeland Fells. The museum would like to thank all supporters, Friends, volunteers and staff for many years of hard work towards this wonderful achievement.
Cumbria Life Culture Awards
Best Small Visitor Attraction
On the 16th June 2015, the museum was awarded Best Small Visitor Attraction at the Cumbria Tourism Awards. The museum would like to thank all supporters, Friends, volunteers and staff for many years of hard work towards this wonderful achievement.
Cumbria Tourism Award Winners
Board of Trustees
- Joanna Dancer
- Peter Denwood
- Lucy Johnston
- Kevin Mackay (Chair)
- Ruth McCooey
- Victoria Mitchell
- Joe Rattray
Employed Staff
Jane Affleck
Manager
Responsible for managing the collection, staff, and building.
Nicola Lawson
Curator
Managing the collection and exhibitions.
Steve Bogle
Learning and Engagement Facilitator
The lead on learning, engagement, events and activities for the museum
Pippa Burgess
Learning and Engagement Deliverer
Running sessions for schools, young people and families.
Laura Caygill Lowery
Operations and Volunteer Officer
Responsible for day-to-day operation of the museum, volunteer management, and retail.
Grace Wilson
Museum Support Lead
Responsible for finance, premises issues, and room hire.
Volunteers
There is also a huge group of volunteers involved in various aspects of running the Museum.