I was hunting for a convenient mid-way point between Stirling and Worksop (where I was off to sit a cheese exam).

Not a fan of a crowded service station I wanted somewhere to stretch my legs and have a peaceful coffee and cake. Cue a quick search of Atlas Obscura which suggested stopping at Keswick to visit the Derwent Pencil Museum.

The Lake District in August is absolutely packed with tourists and when I arrived in Keswick, the main street resembled Oxford Street on a Saturday. Those seeking the idyllic peace and quiet of a rural Cumbrian village would be disappointed.

Luckily for me, I just wanted a peak at pencils and a snack.

The pencil museum was easy to find with plenty of parking!

And your ticket to the museum is … a pencil!

Entry to the museum is via a faux graphite mine with some creepy faceless graphite miner dolls. It’s pitch black, I took this photo with a flash.

After the ‘mine’ you enter in to the main attraction – a collection of pencils (including the world’s largest coloured pencil – 26 feet long, weighing just under half a ton)

some information about pencil making through the ages…

and links with James Bond…

Did you know Charles Fraser-Smith was the inspiration for “Q” in the Ian Fleming’s James Bond? Fraser-Smith invented gadgets for soldiers the War, including a pencil with a secret compartment to hide a map and a compass and the Cumberland Pencil Co was his manufacturer of choice.

Sadly today the pencil factory is closed and production has moved about 20 miles down the road – the abandoned factory still stands next to the museum.

On a happier note, the pencil museum has its very own Artisan Cafe serving teas, coffees and snacks and on a sunny August day I even managed to get a table outside!

Loves a picnic table

Delicious carrot cake

So if you’re on holiday in the Lake District and hunting for a little oasis of calm in high season, I’d definitely recommend the pencil museum, its car park and wee cafe!