Keswick is the most stylish place to live in Cumbria, according to a new survey. With this definition in mind, we visited the businesses and attractions that have contributed to its trendy ranking

Stylish: adjective, ‘fashionably elegant and sophisticated’.

It is certainly a definition Victorian visitors would have recognised pulling into Keswick railway station and taking a promenade to the shores of Derwentwater.

Trains may not travel as far as Keswick any more, but the town does retain a sense of style among its independent shops, restaurants, attractions and landscape. Indeed, the tourism hotspot was the highest rated location in Cumbria in a list of the 60 most stylish places by online store Furniturebox, coming ahead of Grasmere, Hawkshead, Cartmel and Coniston.

Locations were ranked according to the beauty of the buildings, the stunning scenery, how ‘Instagrammable’ were the best features and their popularity as a filming location.

Countless film and television productions have been filmed in Keswick including Agatha Christie’s Poirot and the BBC1 drama The A Word starring Christopher Ecclestone.

Furniturebox polled 5,000 people, with interview panels in cities and counties including Cumbria. Keswick was ranked at 22, behind Grassington, in North Yorkshire, which led the poll, Warwick and Grantchester, but ahead of Salcombe, in Devon, and Hereford.

A spokesperson for Furniturebox, which was founded by former school friends Monty George and Dan Beckles, both aged 26, eight years ago, says: “What is interesting is how influential Instagram has become in boosting tourism in many of our top 60, particularly around Cumbria. It is a massive help for visitor numbers, too, if a popular film or TV show uses a town or village as a location.

“Most of the locations in the top 60 are not the most affluent or fashionable in their localities. It shows that style can be achieved whatever your budget – and that is very true of furniture.”

We visited some of the businesses and organisations that may have contributed to Keswick’s ‘stylish place’ accolade.


MJ CABINET MAKERS

Matt Jardine and his team of cabinet makers create furniture that is functional as well as beautiful. Contemporary design is married with traditional methods of making of handcrafted furniture that stands the test of time. The team mainly source timber locally, hardwoods like ash, oak, elm, sycamore and cherry. Matt established the business in 2000 and later moved to a bigger workshop off the A66 at Braithwaite.

 


ELM

On the top floor of George Fisher outdoors shop, Elm is a cosy cafe and mini gallery beneath beams, dark ceiling and filament lighting serving light breakfast, ciabatta sandwiches, toasties and salads plus cakes and tray bakes, kombucha and a range of coffees and teas.

 


ORCHID HOUSE

An eclectic and abundant mix of gifts and homeware with brands including Bukowski, Rice, Sophie Allport, Greengate, Bungalow and Garden Trading and locally made products like Fern + Fell candles.

YONDER

A small takeaway with just a handful of seats for sitting in, Yonder offers a range of stylish drinks and food options with specials including acai bowls, smoked salmon bagels and sourdough toasts as well as a host of cakes and bakes.


ALHAMBRA CINEMA

One of the jewels in Keswick’s style crown, the Alhambra was built in 1913 and is one of the very few UK picture houses that has been in continuous operation for over a century. Two screens offer everything from blockbusters to family movies, relaxed screenings and Keswick Film Club and the MINT Chinese Film Festival.

 

The 39 Steps at Theatre by the Lake in 2023 [TONY BARTHOLOMEW]THEATRE BY THE LAKE

Cumbria’s only producing theatre TBTL has fought back from the pandemic in great style with a relentless programme of outstanding live productions, guests events, festivals, music and exhibitions. Celebrating 25 years this year, it also has a bar, shop and daytime café.

 

FULTONS JEWELLERY WORKS

Fultons uses only responsibly and sustainably sourced, single mine origin gold in its products.

It is one of only a few jewellers in the UK to offer a completely in-house service – design, casting, setting and polishing are all carried out in its design studio and state-of-the-art workshop in the heart of Keswick. Co-owner Brian Fulton is a fellow of the Institute of Professional Goldsmiths and a member of The Goldsmiths’ Company and its highly skilled team has over 100 years’ combined experience of working with all precious metals and stones.

Fultons also has a stylish vegetarian, dog friendly café.

 


LUCY PITTAWAY

A relative newcomer to Keswick, North Yorkshire-based artist Lucy spends a lot of time in Lake District and has now opened a second branch in Bowness-on-Windermere for her distinctive artwork, a personal take on the world with love at its heart. Originals with specific connection to Cumbria, prints and merchandise are available.

 


FELLPACK HOUSE

Previously a classic townhouse guest house, Fellpack House was acquired by the owners of Fellpack and The Round restaurants in the town in 2022 and completely refurbished to create what is now very much a boutique hotel. Each of the nine bedrooms finished this year is individual in layout, look, colour scheme and view from the window, which look over Hope Park, towards Catbells or over town rooftops.

 


FELLPACK AND THE ROUND

A simple menu of innovative dishes, Fellpack offers classic and hearty ‘Fellpots’ such as Keralan fish curry and Indonesian lamb rendang in easy-going but stylish surroundings. The popular spot earned it a finalist place in this year’s Cumbria Life Awards. Meanwhile, considerable queues form outside The Round in school holidays for walk-in tables at the popular bar and bistro for cocktails and burgers named after Lakeland’s best-known fells. It’s cool, casual and lively.

 


KINDRED SPIRITS

Kindred Spirits works with around 20 British distillers from the Hebrides to Cornwall

who passionately handcraft spirits of the highest quality using small batch production techniques. Then it’s over to the customers who can choose their spirit, the bottle it’s presented in, what goes on the bottle and label and how it’s wrapped, if a gift. Top ups can be bought online presented in refillable pouches.

 

NORTHERN LIGHTS

A contemporary art gallery, Northern Lights boasts three floors of retail and exhibition space allowing for an enormous variety of original paintings, sculpture and photography. The winner of the 2024 Cumbria Life Award for best independent retailer, every few months there is a changing exhibition showcasing one of the gallery’s artists. A sister business, The Pole Star, has recently opened just a short walk from Northern Lights offering more affordable art.

 


TREEBY & BOLTON

Definitely meeting the stylish criteria, Treeby & Bolton is a family-owned art gallery, homeware and gift shop and café over three levels. Artists represented include Sam Toft, Gary Walton, Rebecca Lardner, Clare Wright, Tom Butler, Yuvi, Marek Zyga, Craig Alan, Doug Hyde and Frogman bronzes, while the shop is also an approved supplier of Moorcroft ceramics. Homeware brands include Aery candles and home fragrance, Beach Clean tableware and nkuku, while furniture is displayed to inspire in room sets.

DERWENT WALKER CAFÉ BAR

“People love to relax with wine and cocktails, eating and sharing dishes with those they are closest to, celebrating in the most beautiful part of the world.” It sounds like the perfect blueprint for an intimate cocktail bar and restaurant and Derwent Water fits its description perfectly. The menu focuses on tapas, nibbles and shares and delectable looking cocktails.

THE SQUARE ORANGE

The ‘Squorange is a cosy bar for a beer or a cocktail, speciality coffee and cake, or stone-baked Roman-style pizza, tapas or nachos, all served while guests read the paper, enjoy a game or chess or listed to the live music. There are vegan options too.

KONG ADVENTURE

KONG Adventure is an indoor climbing and bouldering facility, home to 48 roped lines and four auto belays up to 12m. A mix of top rope and lead lines at multiple grades mean there is enough to suit all levels of climber from beginner to the most experienced. It also operates a host of outdoor activities.