Derwent Pencil Museum

01/04/2026

🌞 We are now fully open for the Summer Season
We are delighted to welcome visitors back for the summer! Come and explore at your leisure and make the most of your day with us.
🕤 Open daily: 9.30am - 5.00pm
⏰ Last entry: 4.00pm
We can't wait to see you. Enjoy a great day out this summer!

27/02/2026

We're Hiring Seasonal Staff!!
The Derwent Pencil Museum is gearing up for another fantastic season - and we would love for you to be part of it.

We are currently looking for enthusiastic, customer-focused individuals to join our seasonal team. If you enjoy working with people, have a passion for heritage and creativity, and love being part of a lively visitor attraction, this could be the perfect role for you.

Contract:- Mid March to the end of October
Find full details and apply: search for the role on Indeed.

If you know someone who would be a great fit, feel free to share this post. We can't wait to welcome new team members for an exciting season ahead.

accobrands

14/02/2026

February Half Term has begun!!
Looking for something fun to do this week?
The Derwent Pencil Museum is open all weekend and ready to welcome you!
Opening hours this week:
Saturday & Sunday: OPEN
Monday & Tuesday: CLOSED
Wednesday to Sunday: OPEN
Bring the family, get creative, and explore the fascinating history of pencils.
We can't wait to see you!

14/02/2026

With a history of over 170 years, Grasmere Gingerbread will be joining us at the Derwent Pencil Museum on Wednesday 18th February between 11am and 4pm.
Just in time for February half term - pop in, explore the museum, and pick up your delicious Grasmere Gingerbread while they're here.
We look forward to seeing you!!

05/11/2025

Due to staff training, the Museum will open at 10.30am on Wednesday 12th November 2025

30/10/2025

Our winter hours are fast approaching.
The Derwent Pencil Museum will be closed Mondays and Tuesdays from Monday 3rd November. We will still be open Wednesday to Sunday from 9.30am to 5pm. Last admission to the Museum is 4pm.

03/10/2025

🎉 Exciting News from the Derwent Pencil Museum! 🎨
The brand new Derwent Drawing extension range launched on 1st October, and we can't wait for you to try it out!
🗓️ Join us on Tuesday 7th October at the Museum, between 10am and 12pm, where our friendly staff will be on hand to let you test the new range and answer all your questions.
Whether you're a seasoned artist or just love to sketch, come and explore what’s new — we think you’ll love it! ✏️🖌️

29/07/2025

Local Artist Exhibition: Barbara Murray
We are delighted to present an exhibition by local artist Barbara Murray, formerly the Technical Manager at Derwent. This special showcase celebrates her creative journey and contributions to the local arts community.

Included with museum admission.

29/07/2025

Roar with excitement this International Tiger Day! Marvel at the stunning tiger artwork created by our talented museum staff using the Derwent Metallic range on black paper. Tigers are incredibly beautiful—why not unleash your creativity and try drawing one yourself?

18/07/2025

FUN FACT FRIDAY!
The "Fotocol" colouring pencil set was produced from 1930 through to 1969. The set was used to colour in black and white photographs, prior to widespread production of colour cameras, but could only be used on matt prints.
The set came with a 11-step instruction guide on how to use the oil and pencils correctly. It claimed that just one little bottle of the Fotocol oil could colour in a thousand post card sized photographic prints and the best results could only be achieved using "Cumberland Lakeland" pencils!
Whilst only having twelve colours, people were not limited to this colour range and the Lakeland pencils included could be super imposed on top of one another to create new colours.

07/07/2025

Celebrate the magic of chocolate this World Chocolate Day with a scrumptious hot chocolate at our café! Join us from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM for a delightful chocolatey experience.