The Derwent Pencil Museum is moving to larger premises in its home town of Keswick in the UK’s Lake District.
The museum, which attracts up to 60,000 visitors a year, will relocate to Rawnsley Hall, a short walk from its current location. Derwent said the investment would provide more space to develop exhibitions and expand its collections over time.
The existing museum will close on 1 November, with the new facility scheduled to open on 1 March 2027. The intervening period will be used to transfer exhibits and prepare the new space.
Opened in 1981, the museum explores the history of pencil making and the Derwent brand. Its exhibits include an almost eight-metre-long coloured pencil, WWII pencils containing hidden maps, royal commemorative items and miniature pencil sculptures.
Derwent – part of ACCO Brands – said the museum’s existing collections and stories would remain central to the visitor experience following the move.
