Welcome To Derwent Island House
Derwent Island is one of our most fascinating treasures. The 18th Century house on this little wooded island makes this the only inhabited island in the Lake District which opens to visitors.
The house is lived in all year round but open to the public for five days every year, giving you the wonderful opportunity to have a look around the house and garden, find out about island life past and present and imagine yourself living in a house which must have one of the most beautiful commutes to the shops in the country!
Come by canoe
Because the lake level changes so quickly in response t
Read More..
Derwent Island is one of our most fascinating treasures. The 18th Century house on this little wooded island makes this the only inhabited island in the Lake District which opens to visitors.
The house is lived in all year round but open to the public for five days every year, giving you the wonderful opportunity to have a look around the house and garden, find out about island life past and present and imagine yourself living in a house which must have one of the most beautiful commutes to the shops in the country!
Come by canoe
Because the lake level changes so quickly in response to rain and drought, we've found the most reliable way to make sure the open days take place is to travel to the island by canoe.
If you've never canoed before - don't worry, we make it as easy as possible. The canoes are rafted together in pairs, which makes them very stable. You will need to paddle yourself, but all the trips across are accompanied by two qualified canoe instructors from Keswick Canoe & Bushcraft.
The instructors will give you a full safety briefing and instructions on how to use the paddle, and will help you get in and out of the canoes. It then takes approximately five minutes of actual paddling at a leisurely pace to reach the island. If you'd like to see how this works, watch our video above.
How the visit to the island works
We can fit 18 people in the canoes, so access to the island is by timed tickets, which give you approximately two hours on the island, plus half an hour getting there and back in canoes.
When you arrive on the island you will be greeted by a tour guide who will give you a 45 minute guided tour of the main show rooms in the house. After the tour, the island is yours to explore for the remaining time until your canoe trip back.
History of Derwent Island
Throughout its history it has been owned by monks and royalty, in the 16th Century it was inhabited by group of German miners when they came to work in the area. They built a camp on the island, grew vegetables, kept animals and even brewed beer.
Show Less..