Keswick Webcam – Lake District Market Town from Above

The Keswick Webcam looks out over the slate roofs of Keswick, the market town at the northern end of Derwentwater in the Lake District, Cumbria. It sits high above a quiet street just off the Market Square and faces roughly west-north-west, along Main Street to the clock tower of the Moot Hall in the middle of the frame. The Royal Oak, its name lettered on a white facade, fills the right foreground. Beyond the town, fells close in on both sides, and on wet days the cloud sits low enough to cut off their summits. The camera belongs to The Views, two self-catering apartments whose owners call them the holiday cottages in the sky. They rate sunrise and sunset as the best times to look in, when early light catches the tops while mist still lies over the roofs.

About Keswick

Keswick has been a market town since 1276, when Edward I granted it a charter for a weekly market on Saturdays. The market still uses the square below the camera, with stalls on Thursdays and Saturdays selling local food, crafts and clothing. From this height the buildings in front hide most of the paving, so the camera shows the town’s rooftops and chimneys more than its shoppers.

The tower in the center of the picture belongs to the Moot Hall. The first hall on the site was built in 1571 and rebuilt in 1695, and the present building dates from 1813. Its tower carries an unusual one-handed clock. The ground floor is now a tourist information center with an art gallery upstairs. Keswick Museum is a separate building, a short walk away in Fitz Park.

The parish had 4,658 residents at the 2021 census. Skiddaw, which reaches 931 meters (3,054 feet), stands to the north, and the high ground on the right of the frame climbs toward its range. Derwentwater lies immediately south of the town, away from the camera’s line of sight. The lake is 4.6 kilometers (2.9 miles) long and up to 22 meters (72 feet) deep, and its surface sits 75 meters (246 feet) above sea level.

Weather and Climate in Keswick

Keswick is wet, and the camera shows it. Met Office averages for 1991 to 2020 give the town 1,575 millimeters (62 inches) of rain a year, with 172.5 millimeters (6.8 inches) in January and 94.9 millimeters (3.7 inches) in July. Low cloud often hides the summits, leaving only the lower fellsides in view under a flat grey sky, while a clear day brings the whole skyline out at once.

January days average 7.4 C (45 F), with nights around 2.0 C (36 F), and snow can whiten the fell tops while the roofs below stay wet. Spring warms slowly: April highs reach 12.4 C (54 F) and lows 4.4 C (40 F). July averages 19.8 C (68 F) by day and 11.6 C (53 F) at night, and the long northern evenings keep the picture lit until late. October still manages 13.5 C (56 F) by day and 6.8 C (44 F) at night. By then the bracken on the fellsides has turned rust brown, a color that holds through the winter and shows clearly on the slopes to the right.

Things to Do Near Keswick

The town center is small enough to cross on foot in a few minutes. The Moot Hall’s information center sits in the middle of the square the camera looks over, and the market fills the space around it on Thursdays and Saturdays. Keswick Museum in Fitz Park covers the town’s history, the Derwent Pencil Museum is also in town, and Theatre by the Lake, which opened in 1999, is Keswick’s main stage.

Derwentwater is the obvious next step. Boats run around the lake from Keswick and call at landing stages including Lodore, for Lodore Falls, passing islands such as Derwent Island, Lord’s Island and St Herbert’s Island. Hope Park lies between the town and the lake shore. For something much older, Castlerigg Stone Circle stands on the eastern fringe of the town. Walkers after a summit have Skiddaw, at 931 meters (3,054 feet), rising directly to the north.

Similar Webcams You Might Like

Two more cameras cover Keswick and Derwentwater, and a third watches another northern market town in the Yorkshire Dales.

• Keswick Market Square Webcam
• Lake District Webcam
• Hawes Webcam

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Keswick located?

Keswick is in Cumbria, in north-west England, inside the Lake District National Park. The town sits at the northern end of Derwentwater, which lies immediately south of it, with Skiddaw rising to 931 meters (3,054 feet) to the north.

What can you see on the Keswick Webcam?

The camera looks roughly west-north-west over the rooftops of the town center, from above a street just off the Market Square. The Moot Hall’s clock tower stands in the middle of the frame, the Royal Oak fills the right foreground, and fells rise along the horizon on both sides.

Does the Keswick Webcam show the Market Square?

Partly. It looks across the square from above, so the Moot Hall and the buildings around it are clear, but the roofs in front hide most of the paving and the market stalls. For a street-level view of the square, try the Keswick Market Square Webcam linked above.

Can you see Derwentwater on this webcam?

No. Derwentwater lies immediately south of the town, and this camera faces away from it, toward the town center and the fells to the west and north-west. The lake and its marina are on the Lake District Webcam instead.

When is Keswick market on?

Keswick’s outdoor market runs on Thursdays and Saturdays in the Market Square, the square this camera looks over. Stalls sell local food and drink, crafts and clothing. The market does not go ahead in strong winds or other bad weather, so a windy forecast is worth checking first.

What is the weather like in Keswick?

Mild and wet. January averages 7.4 C (45 F) by day and 2.0 C (36 F) at night, and July 19.8 C (68 F) and 11.6 C (53 F). The town gets about 1,575 millimeters (62 inches) of rain a year, so low cloud over the fells is a common sight on the camera.

Is this Keswick in England or Keswick, Ontario?

This is Keswick in Cumbria, England, in the Lake District. Keswick in Ontario is a separate community in Canada and does not appear on this camera.

When is the best time to watch the Keswick Webcam?

The operator recommends sunrise and sunset, when low light catches the fell tops and mist can hang over the town below.

Source: The Views Keswick