Derwent Island House

About the museum

Derwent Island House stands on a small wooded island in Derwentwater near Keswick and is the only inhabited island in the Lake District. The island has had a long and varied history, from monastic ownership to use by a German mining colony under the Company of Mines Royal.

The present villa was built by 1781 for Joseph Pocklington, who called the place Pocklington’s Island. It was designed by Pocklington himself and built by the Keswick builders Samuel and Thomas Ladyman, with five bays and a large pediment. Many people disliked its severe look in such a natural setting, and Wordsworth mocked it. Pocklington also held a lively regatta on the lake, with mock battles around the island.

The house later passed to the Marshall family and then to the National Trust. It remains a lived-in house, which the National Trust has normally opened to the public on only a few days each year.

Highlights

• Palladian villa of the 1780s on a lake island
• The only inhabited island in the Lake District
• Associated with Joseph Pocklington’s Derwentwater regatta
• Views of the house from boats on the lake

Operated by

National Trust

Admission & discounts

The house is currently closed to visitors; the National Trust has no open days scheduled.

Accessibility

The house is currently closed to visitors; the National Trust has no open days scheduled.

Kids & families

The house is currently closed to visitors; the National Trust has no open days scheduled.

Getting there & parking

The house is on an island in Derwentwater near Keswick and cannot be reached on foot. It can be viewed from the lake while boating.

Amenities & dining

The house is currently closed to visitors; the National Trust has no open days scheduled.

Events & venue rental

The house is currently closed to visitors; the National Trust has no open days scheduled.