A multi-million-pound project to breathe new life into Keswick’s iconic Pencil Factory is finally nearing completion.
The building, first opened at the Southey Works site in the 1920s, had lain derelict since production moved to Workington in 2007.
In 2016 it was acquired by Keswick Ministries, which set about turning it into a year-round conference centre and a focal point for its annual convention, which attracts around 12,000 people to the town every July.
Having already refurbished the ground floor, the finishing touches are now being applied to the first and second floors – and it’s hoped the factory will be ready in time for this year’s convention which starts on July 16.
Ministry director James Robson said: “The basic infrastructure has been in place for a while, but completing this latest stage means the building is very nearly ready.
“The highlight has been the installation of new windows, which offer fantastic views out over Borrowdale and Skiddaw. It really is something special.”
A feature of the refurbishment has been the restoration of the original lettering which spelled out The Home of Cumberland Pencils on the front of the building.
“It was important to keep the sign, because the factory is such an important part of Keswick’s history,” said Mr Robson.
“The interior design also has an industrial feel, with a lot of the original equipment retained in the ceiling.”
Work on the building has involved a number of local contractors, including Keswick Scaffolding Services, Whitbeck Electrical Contractors, Mike Fell Building Contractor, North Lakes Groundworks.
The Environment Practice was also involved in landscaping part of the exterior of the site.
As well as the convention, the first major event planned for the Pencil Factory is a memorial service for former Keswick Ministries chair Peter Maiden, who died in 2020.
