Mark Wormald

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Alfred Wainwight and the Lakeland Fells
 
Probably the most influential hill walker of the British Isles was Alfred Wainwright (AW) (1907-1991) who left school aged 13 and during a holiday aged 23 fell deeply in love. But this holiday romance became a lifelong love affair with the Lake District.
 

He moved to Kendal in 1941 and began the work that he has become famous for, A Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fell, a work of seven volumes. AW published the final volume, “The Western Fells” in 1966.

Originally conceived and written to supplement the woefully inadequate mapping of the Ordinance Survey in his own “arm chair ramblings”. The whole project was an anachronism, belonging to a previous age, hand written and illustrated by hand. Photographs were eschewed as not being able to convey the required detail.

The Low Down

The Lake District of Cumbria in the far north west of England contain some of the finest mountains in England. All of England 3000 foot hills are to be found here. It has a ruggedness that is unmatched anywhere else in England and there is much argument, mostly good natured, as to its relative merits with the hills of Wales & Scotland! This are contains many fine walks and a number recently televised as the "Wainwright Walks" presented by Julia Bradbury.

 

A Wainwright (Circa 1980)

(c) VisitCumbria.com 

Wainwright's Walks
As presented by Julia Bradbury
Wainwright's Best Fells
The following are the lists that Wainwright felt that he wanted to share with his readers
The Best Fells According to A.W.
  • Bowfell
  • Pillar
  • Great Gable
  • Blencathra
  • Crinkle Crags
Other Fell of Merit

The lack of these in the above list "pained" Wainwright

  • Haystacks
  • Langdale Pikes
  • Place Fell
  • Carrock Fell
Best Summits
  • Dow Crag, Coniston
  • Harter Fell, Eskdale
  • Helm Crag, Grasmere
  • Eagle Crag, Langstrath
  • Slight Side, Scafell
  • Steeple, Ennerdale
Best Places (Other than Summits)
  • Striding Edge, Helvellyn
  • First col, Lord's Rake, Scafell
  • Mickledore, Scafell
  • Sharp Edge, Blencathra
  • South Traverse, Great Gable
  • Shamrock Traverse, Pillar
Finest Ridge-Walks
  • The Fairfield Horseshoe (Ambleside)
  • The High Street Range (Garburn - Moor Divock)
  • The Mosedale Horseshoe (Wasdale Head)
  • Causey Pike - Whiteless Pike
  • Groisedale Pike - Whiteside
  • Esk Hause - Wrynose Pass, via Bowfell
  • The Eskdale Horseshoe (Slight Side - Bowfell)
  • The Helvellyn Range (Grisedale Pass - Threlkeld)
  • The High Stile Ridge, with Haystacks
  • Catbells - Dale Head - Hindscarth - Scope End
  • The Coniston Round (Old Man - Wetherlam)

(Not in order of Merit)

 This page was last modified on Monday, July 04, 2011 10:10 GMT