Keswick is a market town in the Lake District National Park, in northern England. The town is situated just north of Derwent Water, one of the Lake District's most picturesque lakes, and a short distance from Bassenthwaite Lake
The town is recorded in the 13th century as Cese-wic, indicating that it acted as a market for cheese. During the 16th century, small scale mining took place here, and it was the source of the world's first graphite pencils. The pencil industry remains today, including the Cumberland Pencil Museum and the world's largest pencil.
Keswick was granted a charter to be a market town in 1276 by Edward I, the market is held every Saturday in the pedestrianised main street in the middle of the town. The marketplace features the interesting Moot Hall which used to act as the town hall but is now the local tourist information office.
Today, the majority of Keswick's businesses are tourism related, providing accommodation and facilities for the tens of thousands of people visiting the area each year. The Keswick Tourism Association publishes an annual guide to the area, including details of annually inspected and approved visitor accommodation. This information is also available on the KTA website.
Many visitors to Keswick come for the town's annual film festival that in 2006 attracted almost 3,000 paying customers. Keswick is also host to an annual beer festival which takes place on Keswick Rugby Club field and an annual Jazz Festival. In May 2007 Keswick will host a Mountain Festival.
 It is also known for an annual Christian Convention (called the Keswick Convention) that has been running since 1875 and now covers three weeks towards the end of summer.
In the Christian sphere Keswick is also the home to Castlerigg Manor, a leading Catholic residential youth centre. The centre is in the Manor house from which much of the local land was owned in the 19th century.
The town is home to the Cars of the Stars Motor Museum, a motor vehicle museum featuring celebrity cars from television and film, and Keswick Museum and Art Gallery; a Victorian museum which features the famous Musical Stones of Skiddaw.