Keswick is a slate-grey market town at the northern end of Derwentwater, and everything about it is shaped by the fells. Skiddaw rises to the north in a vast smooth dome, Blencathra's ridges lie to the east, and the lake spreads out to the south toward the jaws of Borrowdale, with small wooded islands scattered across it. About four thousand people live here, but the numbers multiply in summer, and the main street is full of walkers in damp coats peering into the windows of outdoor shops.
The town has two curious claims to fame. Graphite was found in the hills of Borrowdale in the sixteenth century, and the pencil industry that grew from it gave Keswick the Pencil Museum, which proudly displays a very long pencil. Just east of town is Castlerigg Stone Circle, a ring of about forty stones laid out roughly five thousand years ago on a plateau ringed by mountains, and one of the most atmospheric sites in Britain. Visit early or late, when mist hangs between the stones and there are few people.
For riders, the roads around Keswick are glorious and a little frustrating. The route over Honister Pass, from Borrowdale to Buttermere, climbs steeply between slate crags with gradients that flirt with twenty-five percent, and the surface is narrow and sometimes broken. Whinlatter Pass is gentler, rising through forest toward Cockermouth. Hedged and walled lanes mean blind corners and sheep, and in summer tourists in cars block the way, so be patient. Rain is frequent, and the Lake District has among the highest rainfall in England, so take waterproofs and expect the road to be wet. Spring and autumn are the best seasons, when the bracken turns rusty and the crowds thin.
Fuel is available in town, with the nearest larger centre at Cockermouth, about sixteen kilometres west. Keswick has a wide choice of cafés, pubs and tea rooms serving Cumberland sausage, sticky toffee pudding and local ale. Parking is tight in summer, so arrive early or use the larger car parks on the edge of town. Look up at Skiddaw when you leave, and decide whether you have the energy for the walk.