We care for and share about 20,000 objects which reflect life in the Keswick area.
Our collection themes consist of:
- Landscape & natural history
- The lives of local people – domestic and community
- Social and industrial history
- Local art, artists & writers, crafts & crafts people
Only 5-10% of the collections 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).
Enquiries about the Collection
We welcome your questions about our collections; however, we receive a lot of enquiries and it is not always possible to respond quickly. All enquiries are answered in the order in which they were received, please allow up to 8 weeks for a response.
Our collection doesn’t contain much archival material; what we do hold is mainly related to Robert Southey, Hugh Walpole, and Peter Crosthwaite. Carlisle Archive Centre covers the Keswick and North Lakes area and is most likely to have local paper-based material and photographs: https://cumbria.gov.uk/archives/archivecentres/cac.asp
For paper-based material and photographs related to Whitehaven and West Cumbria please contact Whitehaven Archive Centre: https://www.cumbria.gov.uk/archives/archivecentres/whalsc.asp
For paper-based material and photographs related to South Lakes please contact Kendal Archive Centre: https://www.cumbria.gov.uk/archives/archivecentres/kac.asp
For paper-based material and photographs related to Barrow and surrounding areas please contact Barrow Archive Centre: https://www.cumbria.gov.uk/archives/archivecentres/balsc.asp
For identification of archaeological objects please contact the local Finds Liaison Officers: https://finds.org.uk/contacts
For identification of more recent objects (e.g. 1800s, 1900s), Mitchell’s Auction House may be able to help: https://www.mitchellsauction.co.uk/antiques-fine-art/
For object enquiries about places in the North Lakes rather than Keswick and Derwent Parishes please contact Tullie House: https://www.tulliehouse.co.uk/
