Keswick, in England's Lake District, is a market town which originally got its charter in the 13th century by Edward I. Its original name was Kesewic, "farm where cheese is made". Graphite pencils first came from here, and the industry continued until just a couple years ago in 2008, when the company moved to Workington. The largest industry in the town today is tourism. November, 2010.

Derwentwater

This lake is a short walk from Keswick. It's quite large at almost five kilometers in length. Boats are available all during the year for going to different points around the lake.

Many parks surround the lake, and there are also several protected areas reserved for wildfowl (we were able to identify Canada geese, several kinds of ducks, and swans). There are footpaths you can take all around the lake, most of them following the shore.

Castlerigg Stone Circle

This stone circle, which dates back to late-Neolithic times (3,000 - 2,500 BC) is thought to be about 1,000 years older than Stonehenge. Instead of being a perfect circle, it's slightly ovate, and is around 100 feet in diameter.

There is a gap between two large stones at the north end of the circle, and a "sanctuary" is located on the east side.

Sheep

Sheep are all around the UK. While the finest wool is said to come from the Cotswolds, there's no shortage of sheep in the Lake District. Several footpaths go past and even through fields where sheep graze. Because the footpaths have right-of-way, gates are put into fences to let pedestrians through. Some are normal latched gates, but others can be "kissing gates" where a small swinging gate fits into a rectangular section, allowing someone to enter from only one side at a time. Another way to get over fences is to have steps sticking out of the fences, so you step up high enough to step over the top of the fence.

We saw many sheep marked with paint, and it seems there are several reasons for this. One is that some farmers mark sheep so they know which belong to them. Another reason for marking them is to indicate which are pregnant or sick.

Around Town

One large path going through Keswick used to be a rail line which was built in the mid-19th century to take Durham coke to Penrith, from where it went to Workington iron factories. The smelted iron which resulted was sent further east. Once the railway was completed (including building 135 bridges between Penrith and Workington), Keswick was connected to other routes, including one to London, and it became a destination for tourists.