Derwent Pencil Museum tells the story of Keswick’s pencil industry from its origins in the 1550s. That’s when Borrowdale shepherds are said to have discovered that the black substance clinging to the base of an upturned tree was really useful for marking their sheep. The mineral was graphite, known locally as “wad”. In the 17th century some saw it as more valuable than gold, which led to a thriving black market, centred on a Keswick pub.
