He and his wife set up classes to teach metalwork and wood carving; these grew into the Keswick School of Industrial Art, which trained local craftsmen and women from 1894 until it closed in 1986.[45] He revived the ancient May Day festival in the town, and was a leading figure in the establishment of Keswick School,[46] Blencathra Sanatorium and the County Farm School.[47] As co-founder of the National Trust, Rawnsley contributed to Keswick's continued growth as a tourist centre, with the acquisition by the Trust of many acres of popular scenic land around Derwentwater, beginning with Brandelhow Wood in 1902.[48]