Countryfile's John Craven is heading to Cumbria to reopen a popular tourist attractions as it bounces back from the 2015 floods.

The TV presenter will be in Keswick next Thursday for the reopening of the Derwent Pencil Museum.

John will give a speech and cut the ribbon at 11am, marking the start of a new era for the museum.

He will be joined by social media stars, the spaniels Max and Paddy.

Museum manager Dawn Walker said: “We’ve had about 3,000 visitors since we reopened and the response has been 95 per cent positive.

“I think it is quite a shock for people when they first go in because it looks so different.

“It’ll be lovely to meet John Craven because for me he goes right back to Newsround.”

She added: “It should be a fantastic day and a lovely community event.”

Work to refit Keswick’s flood-hit pencil museum began late last year.


Renovation of the attraction, at Southey Works, was initially delayed because of damage to its utilities.

Because supplies were run through the old factory, which has since closed, new ones had to be laid.

Much of the museum’s exhibits were salvaged from the destruction of Storm Desmond but one limited edition collection that was destroyed could not be replaced.

Bosses have taken the opportunity to redesign the museum, cafe and shop during the revamp.

Mrs Walker also confirmed that the Derwent Pencils shop on Station Street, which opened as a temporary store before Storm Desmond hit, will not remain permanently open.

It has been the pencil company’s only outlet in the town during the museum’s closure.

The museum was plunged under several feet of floodwater when the River Greta broke its banks following excessive rainfall. during Storm Desmond

The museum lies beside the river, which weaves through the Lake District town.

A total of 515 residential properties and businesses in the town were affected.