Derwent Pencil Museum facts for kids
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The Derwent Pencil Museum
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| Established | 1981 |
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| Location | Southey Works, Keswick, CA12 5NG |
| Visitors | 80,000 |
| Owner | Derwent |
Welcome to the Derwent Pencil Museum! It's a super cool place located in Keswick, a town in the north-west of England. This museum is all about pencils, from how they're made to their amazing history. It's a fun spot for anyone who loves art or just wants to learn something new.
Contents
The Story of Pencils in Keswick
How Pencil Making Started
Pencil making has a long history in Keswick. The very first pencil factory here opened way back in 1832. Imagine, that's almost 200 years ago!
Later, a new factory was built. It started in the 1920s and was finished by 1950. This factory kept making pencils until 2007. After that, the pencil production moved to a different town called Workington.
The Museum Opens Its Doors
The Derwent Pencil Museum first opened in 1981. It was created to share the fascinating story of pencils. It also shows off the history of the Derwent company.
One of the most exciting things at the museum is a giant colouring pencil. It's one of the biggest in the whole world! A person named Barbara Murray, who was a technical manager, came up with the idea for this huge pencil.
The World's Largest Pencil
This amazing yellow pencil was finished on May 28, 2001. It's super long, measuring about 7.91 metres (26 ft)! That's taller than a giraffe! It also weighs a lot, around 446.36 kilograms (984.1 lb). That's heavier than a small car! You can see this incredible pencil when you visit the museum.
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The Pencil Museum in Keswick
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Lakeland pencils on display
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The tip of the world's largest pencil
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Visitors and Fame
Today, more than 80,000 people visit the museum every year. They come from all over the world to see the exhibits. The museum was even featured in a movie called Sightseers in 2012.
Overcoming Challenges
The Big Flood of 2015
In December 2015, the museum faced a big challenge. A huge storm called Storm Desmond caused the River Greta to flood. Several feet of water rushed into the museum. Sadly, many items were damaged or destroyed. Some special limited-edition collections could not be replaced.
Reopening Stronger
Even though it was a tough time, the museum worked hard to recover. Many exhibits were saved and cleaned. The museum officially reopened to the public on June 15, 2017. A famous TV presenter named John Craven helped cut the ribbon for the reopening. It showed how strong and important the museum is to the community.
