Keswick museum to close

After 25 years, Keswick Mining Museum is closing. The collection inside has been brought together over 40 years and is one of the most comprehensive in the country.

The founder, Ian Tyler, is past retirement age and is struggling to sell his collection. He says he has no choice but to get rid of it. The museum was the first of its kind to be established in Cumbria and is said to host the finest collection of mining memorabilia in the country.

After 25 years, Keswick Mining Museum is closing. The collection inside has been brought together over 40 years and is one of the most comprehensive in the country. The founder, Ian Tyler, is past retirement age and struggling to sell his collection. He says he has no choice but to get rid of it.

Keswick has a long history of mining with the first experts from Germany arriving in 1564. In those early days, Copper and Lead were mined. Much Later Keswick was to become the centre of the Pencil industry based on the famous Borrowdale graphite, the first discovery of this mineral in the world.

The museum was the first of its kind to be established in Cumbria and is said to host the finest collection of mining memorabilia in the country.