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 |
The Derwent Pencil Museum is a super cool place in Keswick, England, all about pencils! You can learn how pencils are made and discover their amazing history. It's a fun museum for everyone who loves to draw or just wants to know more about everyday objects.
Contents
The Story of the Museum
How Pencils Came to Keswick
Pencils have been made in Keswick for a very long time! The first pencil factory opened here in 1832. A newer factory was built in the 1920s and finished in 1950. Pencil making moved to Workington in 2007.
Opening the Museum
The Derwent Pencil Museum first opened its doors in 1981. It's home to one of the biggest colouring pencils in the world! This giant yellow pencil was the idea of Barbara Murray, a technical manager. It was finished on May 28, 2001. This huge pencil is about 7.91 meters (26 feet) long and weighs around 446 kilograms (984 pounds)!
The museum also has a special display that looks like a graphite mine from Seathwaite. Graphite is the main material used to make pencil lead.
Fun Facts and Visitors
The museum was even shown on the BBC children's TV show Come Outside in 1997. Today, more than 80,000 people visit the museum every year from all over the world. It's a very popular spot!
Facing a Big Flood
Storm Desmond's Impact
In December 2015, the museum faced a big challenge. A storm called Storm Desmond caused the River Greta to flood. Several feet of water rushed into the museum, and many items were damaged. Some special collections could not be replaced.
Reopening After the Flood
Even though it was a tough time, the museum worked hard to recover. Many exhibits were saved and cleaned. The museum proudly reopened to the public on June 15, 2017. The famous TV presenter John Craven helped cut the ribbon at the reopening ceremony.
See also
- Derwent Cumberland Pencil Company
