Alfred Wainwright
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Alfred Wainwright
MBE Mbe may refer to: * Mbé, a town in the Republic of the Congo * Mbe Mountains Community Forest, in Nigeria * Mbe language, a language of Nigeria * Mbe' language, language of Cameroon * ''mbe'', ISO 639 code for the extinct Molala language Molal ...
(17 January 1907 – 20 January 1991), who preferred to be known as A. Wainwright or A.W., was a
British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...
fellwalker, guidebook author and illustrator. His seven-volume ''
Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells ''A Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells'' is a series of seven books by A. Wainwright, detailing the fells (the local word for hills and mountains) of the Lake District in northwest England. Written over a period of 13 years from 1952, they ...
'', published between 1955 and 1966 and consisting entirely of reproductions of his manuscript, has become the standard reference work to 214 of the
fell A fell (from Old Norse ''fell'', ''fjall'', "mountain"Falk and Torp (2006:161).) is a high and barren landscape feature, such as a mountain or Moorland, moor-covered hill. The term is most often employed in Fennoscandia, Iceland, the Isle o ...
s of the English
Lake District The Lake District, also known as the Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous region in North West England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous for its lakes, forests, and mountains (or ''fells''), and its associations with William Wordswor ...
. Among his 40-odd other books is the first guide to the
Coast to Coast Walk The Coast to Coast Walk is a long-distance footpath between the west and east coasts of Northern England, nominally long. Devised by Alfred Wainwright, it passes through three contrasting national parks: the Lake District National Park, th ...
, a 182-mile
long-distance footpath A long-distance trail (or long-distance footpath, track, way, greenway (landscape), greenway) is a longer recreational trail mainly through rural areas used for hiking, backpacking (wilderness), backpacking, cycling, horse riding or cross-cou ...
devised by Wainwright which remains popular today.


Life

Alfred Wainwright was born in
Blackburn Blackburn () is an industrial town and the administrative centre of the Blackburn with Darwen borough in Lancashire, England. The town is north of the West Pennine Moors on the southern edge of the Ribble Valley, east of Preston and north-n ...
,
Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly. The non-metropolitan county of Lancashi ...
, into a family which was relatively poor, mostly because of his stonemason father's
alcoholism Alcoholism is, broadly, any drinking of alcohol (drug), alcohol that results in significant Mental health, mental or physical health problems. Because there is disagreement on the definition of the word ''alcoholism'', it is not a recognize ...
. He did very well at school (first in nearly every subject) although he left at the age of 13. While most of his classmates were obliged to find employment in the local mills, Wainwright started work as an office boy in Blackburn Borough Engineer's Department. He spent several years studying at night school, gaining qualifications in accountancy which enabled him to further his career at Blackburn Borough Council. Even when a child Wainwright walked a great deal, up to 20 miles at a time; he showed a great interest in drawing and
cartography Cartography (; from grc, χάρτης , "papyrus, sheet of paper, map"; and , "write") is the study and practice of making and using maps. Combining science, aesthetics and technique, cartography builds on the premise that reality (or an im ...
, producing his own maps of England and his local area. In 1930, at the age of 23, Wainwright saved up for a week's walking holiday in the
Lake District The Lake District, also known as the Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous region in North West England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous for its lakes, forests, and mountains (or ''fells''), and its associations with William Wordswor ...
with his cousin Eric Beardsall. They arrived in
Windermere Windermere (sometimes tautology (language), tautologically called Windermere Lake to distinguish it from the nearby town of Windermere, Cumbria (town), Windermere) is the largest natural lake in England. More than 11 miles (18 km) in leng ...
and climbed the nearby Orrest Head, where Wainwright saw his first view of the Lakeland
fell A fell (from Old Norse ''fell'', ''fjall'', "mountain"Falk and Torp (2006:161).) is a high and barren landscape feature, such as a mountain or Moorland, moor-covered hill. The term is most often employed in Fennoscandia, Iceland, the Isle o ...
s. This moment marked the start of what he later described as his love affair with the Lake District. In 1931 he married his first wife, Ruth Holden, a mill worker, with whom he had a son, Peter. In 1941 Wainwright moved closer to the fells when he took a job (and a pay cut) at the Borough Treasurer's office in
Kendal Kendal, once Kirkby in Kendal or Kirkby Kendal, is a market town and civil parish in the South Lakeland district of Cumbria, England, south-east of Windermere and north of Lancaster. Historically in Westmorland, it lies within the dale of th ...
,
Westmorland Westmorland (, formerly also spelt ''Westmoreland'';R. Wilkinson The British Isles, Sheet The British IslesVision of Britain/ref> is a historic county in North West England spanning the southern Lake District and the northern Dales. It had an ...
. He lived and worked in the town for the rest of his life, serving as Borough Treasurer from 1948 until he retired in 1967. His first marriage ended when Ruth left three weeks before he retired (suspecting him of infidelity) and they divorced. In 1970 he married Betty McNally (1922–2008), a divorcee, who became his walking companion and who carried his ashes to Innominate Tarn at the top of Haystacks. Wainwright was a lifelong
Blackburn Rovers Blackburn Rovers Football Club is a professional football club, based in Blackburn, Lancashire, England, which competes in the , the second tier of the English football league system. They have played home matches at Ewood Park since 1890. T ...
fan and a founder member of the Blackburn Rovers Supporters Club. He had no time for
organised religion Organized religion, also known as institutional religion, is religion in which belief systems and rituals are systematically arranged and formally established. Organized religion is typically characterized by an official doctrine (or dogma), a ...
, and was
agnostic Agnosticism is the view or belief that the existence of God, of the divine or the supernatural is unknown or unknowable. (page 56 in 1967 edition) Another definition provided is the view that "human reason is incapable of providing sufficient ...
. On ''
Desert Island Discs ''Desert Island Discs'' is a radio programme broadcast on BBC Radio 4. It was first broadcast on the BBC Forces Programme on 29 January 1942. Each week a guest, called a " castaway" during the programme, is asked to choose eight recordings (usu ...
'', he described himself as having once been shy but having grown up to be antisocial and would avoid speaking to others, even lone walkers on fell tops. Wainwright died in 1991 of a
heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may tr ...
. According to his biographer,
Hunter Davies Edward Hunter Davies (born 7 January 1936) is a British author, journalist and broadcaster. His books include the only authorised biography of the Beatles. Early life Davies was born in Johnstone, Renfrewshire, to Scottish parents. For four ...
, he left everything, including his house and royalty income, to Betty. His son Peter received nothing.


Pictorial Guides

Wainwright started work on the first page of his ''
Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells ''A Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells'' is a series of seven books by A. Wainwright, detailing the fells (the local word for hills and mountains) of the Lake District in northwest England. Written over a period of 13 years from 1952, they ...
'' on 9 November 1952. He planned the precise scope and content of the seven volumes and worked conscientiously and meticulously on the series for the next 13 years at an average rate of one page per evening. According to Wainwright, in his autobiography ''Fellwanderer'', he initially planned the series for his own interest rather than for publication. When he published his first book it was privately, as he could not face the prospect of finding a publisher. His friend Henry Marshall, Chief Librarian of Kendal and Westmorland, took charge of publicity and administration, and his name appears as publisher on the early impressions. Another friend, Sandy Hewitson (of Bateman and Hewitson Ltd), agreed to print the books using Wainwright's original manuscript, although the printing was done by the ''
Westmorland Gazette ''The Westmorland Gazette'' is a weekly newspaper published in Kendal, England, covering " South Lakeland and surrounding areas", including Barrow and North Lancashire. Its name refers to the historic county of Westmorland. The paper is now owned ...
'' in Kendal, who had taken over Bateman and Hewitson Ltd. From 1963, the ''Westmorland Gazette'' became his publisher, and its name appears on the first impressions of Books Six and Seven. Wainwright's books were in turn taken over by Michael Joseph in the 1990s. When they ceased publication in 2003, the rights were bought by Frances Lincoln. Between 2005 and 2009, all the '' Pictorial Guides'' were updated for the first time, to take account of changed conditions on the fells. The revisions were made by Chris Jesty, and the publishers used an imitation font of Wainwright's hand lettering to make the alterations look as unobtrusive as possible. The most notable changes were the inclusion of photographs of the Lake District by
Derry Brabbs Derry Brabbs is a British landscape photographer and author. From 1984 onwards he worked with Alfred Wainwright on a series of books, including ''Fellwalking with Wainwright'' which won the 1985 Lakeland Book of the Year. He judged the annual ph ...
on the front covers, rather than the drawings that were on the covers of the originals, and footpaths shown in red on the maps. These revised versions are titled 'Second Editions'. Revised editions of Wainwright's other ''Pictorial Guides'', '' A Coast to Coast Walk'', ''
The Outlying Fells of Lakeland ''The Outlying Fells of Lakeland'' is a 1974 book written by Alfred Wainwright dealing with hills in and around the Lake District of England. It differs from Wainwright's '' Pictorial Guides'' in that each of its 56 chapters describes a walk, ...
'', ''
Pennine Way The Pennine Way is a National Trail in England, with a small section in Scotland. The trail stretches for from Edale, in the northern Derbyshire Peak District, north through the Yorkshire Dales and Northumberland National Park and ends at Kir ...
Companion'', ''Walks in Limestone Country'' and ''Walks on the
Howgill Fells The Howgill Fells are uplands in Northern England between the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales, lying roughly within a triangle formed by the towns of Sedbergh and Kirkby Stephen and the village of Tebay.
'' were published by Frances Lincoln between 2010 and 2014, with the amendments again being made by Chris Jesty. The publishers announced in 2014 that Clive Hutchby, the author of ''The Wainwright Companion'', was working on the third edition of the ''Pictorial Guide'', with the first volume, ''The Eastern Fells'', published on 26 March 2015 followed by ''The Far Eastern Fells'' on 8 October 2015. These revised versions are titled 'Walkers Editions'. Subsequent volumes in the series to have been revised are ''The Central Fells'' (published 2016), ''The Southern Fells'' (2017), ''The Northern Fells'' (2018); ''The North Western Fells'' (2019); and ''The Western Fells'' (2020).


Later works

Wainwright followed the ''Pictorial Guides'' in 1968 with the ''Pennine Way Companion'', applying the same detailed approach to Britain's first long-distance footpath. This was for many years a leading guide to the
Pennine Way The Pennine Way is a National Trail in England, with a small section in Scotland. The trail stretches for from Edale, in the northern Derbyshire Peak District, north through the Yorkshire Dales and Northumberland National Park and ends at Kir ...
, rivalling the official guide book by Tom Stephenson. Wainwright's book consists of a continuous strip map of the route with accompanying commentary, with an unusual quirk: because the route goes from south to north (bottom to top on a map), contrary to normal reading order, the map and commentary start at the bottom of the last page and work upwards and backwards towards the front of the book. The guide was prepared with the aid of four helpers (Harry Appleyard, Len Chadwick, Cyril Moore and Lawrence Smith) and its preparation was affected by the major outbreaks of
foot and mouth disease Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) or hoof-and-mouth disease (HMD) is an infectious and sometimes fatal viral disease that affects cloven-hoofed animals, including domestic and wild bovids. The virus causes a high fever lasting two to six days, followe ...
in 1966 and 1967, which closed access to many of the moors. In 1972 Wainwright devised the west–east
Coast to Coast Walk The Coast to Coast Walk is a long-distance footpath between the west and east coasts of Northern England, nominally long. Devised by Alfred Wainwright, it passes through three contrasting national parks: the Lake District National Park, th ...
, as an alternative to the north–south Pennine Way. The Coast to Coast, he declares in his guidebook, which follows the same format as the ''Pennine Way Companion'', "puts the Pennine Way to shame" for scenic beauty, variety and interest. The 190-mile route traverses the north of England from
St. Bees St Bees is a coastal village, civil parish and electoral ward in the Copeland district of Cumbria, England, on the Irish Sea. Within the parish is St Bees Head which is the only Heritage Coast between Wales and Scotland and a Site of Speci ...
to
Robin Hood's Bay Robin Hood's Bay is a small Yorkshire coast fishery, fishing village and a bay located in the North York Moors National Park, south of Whitby and north of Scarborough, North Yorkshire, Scarborough on the coast of North Yorkshire, England. Ba ...
, passing through the Lake District, the
Yorkshire Dales The Yorkshire Dales is an upland area of the Pennines in the Historic counties of England, historic county of Yorkshire, England, most of it in the Yorkshire Dales National Park created in 1954. The Dales comprise river valleys and the hills ri ...
and the
North York Moors The North York Moors is an upland area in north-eastern Yorkshire, England. It contains one of the largest expanses of Calluna, heather moorland in the United Kingdom. The area was designated as a national parks of England and Wales, National P ...
national parks A national park is a natural park in use for conservation purposes, created and protected by national governments. Often it is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual ...
. ''
The Outlying Fells of Lakeland ''The Outlying Fells of Lakeland'' is a 1974 book written by Alfred Wainwright dealing with hills in and around the Lake District of England. It differs from Wainwright's '' Pictorial Guides'' in that each of its 56 chapters describes a walk, ...
'' (an idea he had previously rejected), published in 1974, was his last major guidebook. Thereafter he concentrated on sketchbooks of larger-size line drawings until his eyesight began to fail in the mid-1980s. His ''Ex-Fellwanderer'', an autobiographical work published in 1987, was intended to be his last written work, but he continued to lend his name and some written commentary to a series of "
coffee table books A coffee table book, also known as a cocktail table book, is an oversized, usually hardcover, hard-covered book whose purpose is for display on a coffee table, table intended for use in an area in which one entertains guests and from which it can ...
" featuring the photography of
Derry Brabbs Derry Brabbs is a British landscape photographer and author. From 1984 onwards he worked with Alfred Wainwright on a series of books, including ''Fellwalking with Wainwright'' which won the 1985 Lakeland Book of the Year. He judged the annual ph ...
.


Television and radio

By the mid-1980s Wainwright was a TV personality; he featured in three television series for the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
, presented by farmer and broadcaster
Eric Robson Eric Bell Robson (born 31 December 1946) is a television broadcaster, author and documentary film maker who has lived for most of his life in Cumbria, where he has a sheep farm. For many years he was the main presenter of ''Brass Tacks''. Earl ...
and devised, directed and produced by Richard Else. A BBC documentary about Wainwright's life was broadcast on Sunday 25 February 2007 on
BBC Four BBC Four is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It was launched on 2 March 2002
, before a four-part series of walks. This first series covered
Blencathra Blencathra, also known as Saddleback, is one of the most northerly hills in the English Lake District. It has six separate fell tops, of which the highest is the Hallsfell Top at 2,848 feet (868 metres). Name For many years, Ordnance Sur ...
by Sharp Edge, Castle Crag, Haystacks and
Scafell Pike Scafell Pike () is the highest and the most prominent mountain in England, at an elevation of above sea level. It is located in the Lake District National Park, in Cumbria, and is part of the Southern Fells and the Scafell massif. Scafell P ...
from Seathwaite. The second series, broadcast in 2007, included
Catbells Cat Bells is a fell in the English Lake District in the county of Cumbria. It has a height of and is one of the most popular fells in the area. It is situated on the western shore of Derwentwater within of the busy tourist town of Keswick. I ...
,
Crinkle Crags Crinkle Crags is a fell in the English Lake District in the county of Cumbria. It forms part of two major rings of mountains, surrounding the valleys of Great Langdale and Upper Eskdale. The name reflects the fell's physical appearance ...
,
Helm Crag Helm Crag is a fell in the English Lake District situated in the Central Fells to the north of Grasmere. Despite its low height it sits prominently at the end of a ridge, easily seen from the village. This, combined with the distinctive summi ...
,
Helvellyn Helvellyn (; possible meaning: ''pale yellow moorland'') is a mountain in the English Lake District, the highest point of the Helvellyn range, a north–south line of mountains to the north of Ambleside, between the lakes of Thirlmere and Ulls ...
from Patterdale,
High Street High Street is a common street name for the primary business street of a city, town, or village, especially in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth. It implies that it is the focal point for business, especially shopping. It is also a metonym fo ...
from Mardale and
Pillar A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. In other words, a column is a compression member. ...
. A six-part series entitled ''Wainwright Walks: Coast to Coast'' was broadcast on BBC Four in April and May 2009 and on
BBC2 BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It covers a wide range of subject matter, with a remit "to broadcast programmes of depth and substance" in contrast to the more mainstream an ...
from 21 July 2009, and presented by
Julia Bradbury Julia Michele Bradbury (born 24 July 1970) is an Irish-born English television presenter, employed by the BBC and ITV, specialising in documentaries and consumer affairs. Her passion is the outdoors and more recently following her cancer diagn ...
. A Granada TV series ''Wainwright Country'' included Eagle Crag,
Great Calva Great Calva is a fell in the Lake District, England. It is in the Northern Fells, lying roughly at the centre of this region of high ground. As a result, it is distant from roads and quite remote by Lakeland standards. Great Calva stands at t ...
,
Knott Rigg Knott Rigg is a fell at the head of the Newlands Valley in the English Lake District. It is situated some 8.5 kilometres south west of Keswick and has a modest height of 556 metres (1825 feet). Its name is derived from the Old English la ...
, Pike O'Blisco, Stybarrow Dodd,
Thornthwaite Crag Thornthwaite Crag is a fell in the English Lake District, standing to the west of Haweswater Reservoir. It is a focal point of the Far Eastern Fells, standing at the head of several valleys. Topography The summit area is broadly horseshoe-shape ...
and
Yewbarrow Yewbarrow is a fell, in the English Lake District, which lies immediately north of the head of Wast Water. It is 628 metres (2,060 feet) high and in shape resembles the upturned hull of a boat or a barrow. Yewbarrow is on the left in the ...
. In 2010, Eric Robson presented a
BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...
documentary called "The Man behind the Mountains" (16 October 2010). ''Wainwright Walks Series One'' was released on DVD in June 2007 and Series Two was released in January 2008. ''Wainwright Walks: Coast to Coast'' was released on DVD in June 2009.


Influence

Wainwright's ''Pictorial Guides'' have been in continuous publication since they were written and have sold more than two million copies. Although a number of more up-to-date guides are on the market, his books remain among the most popular for their depth, detail and unique style. His division of the Lake District into seven areas, and choice of fells to include, have been followed in whole or in part by subsequent writers such as Mark Richards. The Coast to Coast Walk is one of the most popular long-distance footpaths in the United Kingdom despite its lack of official status, and has spawned various guidebooks by other authors. In 2003 it was voted the second best walk in the world in a survey of experts conducted by '' Country Walking'' magazine. The popularity of Wainwright's books of drawings and large-format photographic books has not matched that of the guides. The 214 fells described in the ''Pictorial Guides'' are now generally known as the Wainwrights, and visiting them all is a common form of
peak bagging Peak bagging or hill bagging is an activity in which hikers, climbers, and mountaineers attempt to reach a collection of summits, published in the form of a list. This activity has been popularized around the world, with lists such as 100 Peaks ...
. The
Long Distance Walkers Association The Long Distance Walkers Association (LDWA) is a British not for profit, volunteer-led association whose aim is "to further the common interests of those who enjoy long distance walking". The LDWA is an association of people with the common inte ...
maintains a register of walkers who have completed the Wainwrights; there were 674 people on the list, of whom 40 had completed more than once. Dave Hewitt estimates that the total number of completers could be over 50% higher than the LDWA's figure. The
Ramblers Association The Ramblers is the trading name of the Ramblers Association, Great Britain's leading walking charity. The Ramblers is also a membership organisation with around 100,000 members and a network of volunteers who maintain and protect the path ...
reported in 2008 that a boy of six years, four months and 27 days had become the youngest person to complete the Wainwrights. In April 2009 a boy aged five completed the round and became the third member of his family to do so after his older sisters held the 'Youngest 214 Completer' previously. ''Wainwrights On The Air'' is a scheme whereby amateur radio enthusiasts aim to make contact with or from the Wainwright summits. Wainwright was a supporter of
animal rights Animal rights is the philosophy according to which many or all sentient animals have moral worth that is independent of their utility for humans, and that their most basic interests—such as avoiding suffering—should be afforded the sa ...
and explained that the publisher of his books gave most of the profits from his books to animal charities. In 1972 he became chairman of Animal Rescue Cumbria, and donated enough money to enable the foundation in 1984 of Kapellan, a shelter for stray cats and dogs in Kendal. After his death the society was renamed "Animal Rescue Cumbria – The Wainwright Shelter". The Wainwright Society was inaugurated in 2002, with the aim of keeping alive the fellwalking traditions and ideas promoted by Alfred Wainwright through his guidebooks and other publications. On 27 June 2008 a landmark road bridge, in Blackburn, was opened and named the Wainwright Bridge in his honour. John Burland, founder of the Wainwright Society, wrote and devised a dramatic presentation of his life and works which was presented at the Wildman Theatre at Ilkley Playhouse as part of the Ilkley Literature Festival on 15 October 2009. During 2010 and 2011 a further 17 presentations were made. In 2013, a memorial
toposcope A toposcope, topograph, or orientation table is a kind of graphic display erected at viewing points on hills, mountains or other high places which indicates the direction, and usually the distance, to notable landscape features which can be seen ...
was unveiled on the hills near his home town of Blackburn. A pedestrian area of Kendal, including the office of Wainwright's first publisher the ''Westmorland Gazette'', is named Wainwright's Yard and features a display of pages from his books.


Bibliography


Books written or illustrated by Wainwright


Small-format walking guidebooks

* ''
A Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells ''A Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells'' is a series of seven books by A. Wainwright, detailing the fells (the local word for hills and mountains) of the Lake District in northwest England. Written over a period of 13 years from 1952, they ...
:'' ** ''Book One: The Eastern Fells'' (1955) ** ''Book Two: The Far Eastern Fells'' (1957) ** ''Book Three: The Central Fells'' (1958) ** ''Book Four: The Southern Fells'' (1960) ** ''Book Five: The Northern Fells'' (1962) ** ''Book Six: The North Western Fells'' (1964) ** ''Book Seven: The Western Fells'' (1966) * ''Pennine Way Companion'' (1968) * ''Walks in Limestone Country'' (1970) * ''Walks on the Howgill Fells'' (1972) * '' A Coast to Coast Walk'' (1973) * ''
The Outlying Fells of Lakeland ''The Outlying Fells of Lakeland'' is a 1974 book written by Alfred Wainwright dealing with hills in and around the Lake District of England. It differs from Wainwright's '' Pictorial Guides'' in that each of its 56 chapters describes a walk, ...
'' (1974) * ''Walks from Ratty'' (1978) * ''Old Roads of Eastern Lakeland'' (1985)


Large-format guidebooks, illustrated with colour photographs

* ''Fellwalking with Wainwright'', photographs by Derry Brabbs (1984) * ''Wainwright on the Pennine Way'', photographs by Derry Brabbs (1985) * ''Wainwright's Coast to Coast Walk'', photographs by Derry Brabbs (1987) * ''Wainwright in Scotland'', photographs by Derry Brabbs (1988) * ''Wainwright on the Lakeland Mountain Passes'', photographs by Derry Brabbs (1989) * ''Wainwright in the Limestone Dales'', photographs by Ed Gelgard (1991) * ''Wainwright's Favourite Lakeland Mountains'', photographs by Derry Brabbs (1991, posthumously) * ''Wainwright in the Valleys of Lakeland'', photographs by Derry Brabbs (1992, posthumously)


Books of drawings

* ''Lakeland Sketchbooks:'' ** ''A Lakeland Sketchbook'' (1969) ** ''A Second Lakeland Sketchbook'' (1970) ** ''A Third Lakeland Sketchbook'' (1971) ** ''A Fourth Lakeland Sketchbook'' (1972) ** ''A Fifth Lakeland Sketchbook'' (1973) * ''Scottish Mountain Drawings:'' ** ''Volume One: The Northern Highlands'' (1974) ** ''Volume Two: The North-Western Highlands'' (1976) ** ''Volume Three: The Western Highlands'' (1976) ** ''Volume Four: The Central Highlands'' (1977) ** ''Volume Five: The Eastern Highlands'' (1978) ** ''Volume Six: The Islands'' (1979) * ''A Dales Sketchbook'' (1976) * ''Kendal in the 19th Century'' (1977) * ''A Second Dales Sketchbook'' (1978) * ''A Furness Sketchbook'' (1978) * ''A Second Furness Sketchbook'' (1979) * ''Three Westmorland Rivers'' (1979) * ''A Lune Sketchbook'' (1980) * ''A Ribble Sketchbook'' (1980) * ''An Eden Sketchbook'' (1980) * ''Lakeland Mountain Drawings:'' ** ''Volume One'' (1980) ** ''Volume Two'' (1981) ** ''Volume Three'' (1982) ** ''Volume Four'' (1983) ** ''Volume Five'' (1984) * ''A Bowland Sketchbook'' (1981) * ''Welsh Mountain Drawings'' (1981) * ''A Wyre Sketchbook'' (1982) * ''A North Wales Sketchbook'' (1982) * ''A South Wales Sketchbook'' (1983) * ''A Peak District Sketchbook'' (1984)


Books of photographs

* ''Fellwalking with a Camera'' (1988)


Local history books

* ''Westmorland Heritage'' (1975)


Autobiographical works

* ''Fellwanderer: The Story Behind the Guidebooks'' (1966) * ''A Pennine Journey: The Story of a Long Walk in 1938'' (1986) * ''Ex-Fellwanderer'' (1987)


Maps

* ''Map of Westmorland'' (1974) * ''Antiquarian Map of Cumbria'' (1980)


Original illustrations, maps and forewords in other books

* ''Inside the Real Lakeland'' by A. Harry Griffin (1961) * ''In Mountain Lakeland'' by A. Harry Griffin (1963) * ''Annual Accounts of Southern Lakes and Lune Water Board'' (1963–1973) * ''Scratch and Co'' by Molly Lefebure (1968) * ''The Hunting of Wilberforce Pike'' by Molly Lefebure (1970) * ''Across Northern Hills'' by Geoffrey Berry (1975) * ''
The Plague Dogs ''The Plague Dogs'' is the third novel by Richard Adams, author of ''Watership Down'', about the friendship of two dogs that escape an animal testing facility and are subsequently pursued by both the government and the media. It was first pub ...
'' by Richard Adams (1977) * ''Guide to the View from Scafell Pike'' by Chris Jesty (1978) * ''My Favourite Stories of Lakeland'' by
Melvyn Bragg Melvyn Bragg, Baron Bragg, (born 6 October 1939), is an English broadcaster, author and parliamentarian. He is best known for his work with ITV as editor and presenter of ''The South Bank Show'' (1978–2010), and for the BBC Radio 4 documenta ...
(1981) * ''Climbing at Wasdale Before the First World War'' by George S Sansom (1982) * ''A Naturalist’s Guide to Lakeland Waterfalls Throughout the Year'' by Mary Welsh (1985) * ''Lakeland 50 Years Ago'' by Kenneth Shepherd (1989)


Books and maps comprising previously published material

* ''Wainwright in Lakeland'' (1983) * ''Memoirs of a Fellwanderer'' (1993) * ''Wainwright’s Lakeland'', photographs by Derry Brabbs (1994) * ''Wainwright Maps of the Lakeland Fells:'' ** ''Map One: The Eastern Fells'' (1997) ** ''Map Two: The Far Eastern Fells'' (1997) ** ''Map Three: The Central Fells'' (1999) ** ''Map Four: The Southern Fells'' (1996) ** ''Map Five: The Northern Fells'' (1999) ** ''Map Six: The North Western Fells'' (1996) ** ''Map Seven: The Western Fells'' (1998) * ''Seven Favourite Fellwalks'' compiled by
Michael Joseph Ltd Penguin Books is a British publishing, publishing house. It was co-founded in 1935 by Allen Lane with his brothers Richard and John, as a line of the publishers The Bodley Head, only becoming a separate company the following year.Hunter Davis (2004) * ''Wainwright’s TV Walks'' introduced by
Eric Robson Eric Bell Robson (born 31 December 1946) is a television broadcaster, author and documentary film maker who has lived for most of his life in Cumbria, where he has a sheep farm. For many years he was the main presenter of ''Brass Tacks''. Earl ...
(2007) * ''Twelve Favourite Mountains'' compiled by
Frances Lincoln Ltd The Quarto Group is a global illustrated book publishing group founded in 1976. It is domiciled in the United States and listed on the London Stock Exchange. Quarto creates and sells illustrated books for adults and children, across 50 countri ...
(2007) * ''Wainwright: The Podcasts'' compiled by
Frances Lincoln Ltd The Quarto Group is a global illustrated book publishing group founded in 1976. It is domiciled in the United States and listed on the London Stock Exchange. Quarto creates and sells illustrated books for adults and children, across 50 countri ...
(2008) * ''Wainwright Family Walks: Vol. 1: The Southern Fells'' edited by Tom Holman (2012) * ''Family Walks in the Lake District: Vol. 2: The Northern Fells'' edited by Tom Holman (2013)


Books based on Wainwright’s life and work

* ''Combined Indexes to A Wainwright’s Pictorial Guides to the Lakeland Fells'' compiled by John M Turner (1982) * ''Sue Lawley’s Desert Island Discussions'' by Sue Lawley (1990) * ''A Companion to Wainwright’s Pictorial Guides to the Lakeland Fells'' compiled by Joan Newsome (1992) * ''Wainwright's Tour in the Lake District'' (1993), photographs by Ed Gelgard * ''The Official Wainwright Gazetteer'' compiled by Peter Linney (1993) * ''The Walkers Log Book: Volume One'' compiled by
Michael Joseph Ltd Penguin Books is a British publishing, publishing house. It was co-founded in 1935 by Allen Lane with his brothers Richard and John, as a line of the publishers The Bodley Head, only becoming a separate company the following year.Michael Joseph Ltd Penguin Books is a British publishing, publishing house. It was co-founded in 1935 by Allen Lane with his brothers Richard and John, as a line of the publishers The Bodley Head, only becoming a separate company the following year.Hunter Davis (1995) * ''The Wainwright Memorial Walk'' compiled by
Michael Joseph Ltd Penguin Books is a British publishing, publishing house. It was co-founded in 1935 by Allen Lane with his brothers Richard and John, as a line of the publishers The Bodley Head, only becoming a separate company the following year.Eric Robson Eric Bell Robson (born 31 December 1946) is a television broadcaster, author and documentary film maker who has lived for most of his life in Cumbria, where he has a sheep farm. For many years he was the main presenter of ''Brass Tacks''. Earl ...
(2003) * ''Wainwright: The Man Who Loved the Lakes'' by
Martin Wainwright Martin Wainwright MBE is a British journalist and author. He left ''The Guardian'' after 37 years at the end of March 2013.Martin Wainwrigh"The Northerner - into 2013" ''The Guardian'' (blog), 31 December 2012 Early life He was born in Leeds, ...
(2007) * ''In the Footprints of Wainwright'' by Derry Brabbs (2007) * ''Wainwright: His Life from Milltown to Mountain'' by WR Mitchell (2009) * ''Wainwright’s Lost Tour'' by Ed Geldard (2010) * ''A Pennine Journey: From Settle to Hadrian's Wall in Wainwright's Footsteps'' edited by David Pitt (2010) * ''The Wainwright Letters'' edited by Hunter Davis (2011) * ''Behind the Scenes with Wainwright: A Publisher's Perspective of a Reluctant Celebrity'' by Andrew Nichol (2012) * ''The Wainwright Companion'' by Clive Hutchby, photographs by Sean McMahon (2012) * ''Wainwright Revealed'' by Richard Else (2017) In addition to the above works, many other books contain previously published illustrations by Wainwright, or whose subject matter has been inspired by his life and works.


See also

* Harry Griffin – Lakeland diarist and friend of Wainwright's, who nonetheless disapproved of the damage to the fells that the popular guidebooks could cause. *
W. A. Poucher William Arthur Poucher (1891–1988), known as Walter, a nickname he acquired during his Army service, was one of the leading British mountain photographers and guide book writers during and following World War II. He personally explored and phot ...
– whose mountain guidebook style and intensive use of photographs were in contrast to Wainwright's. *
Wainwright Prize The Wainwright Prize is a literary prize awarded annually for the best work of general outdoors, nature and UK-based travel writing. In 2020 it was split into the Wainwright Prize for UK nature writing and the Wainwright Prize for writing on globa ...
– literary prize celebrating the legacy of Wainwright.


References


Guardian report on Chris Jesty's updates to the Pictorial Guides


Further reading

* *


External links


Alfred Wainwright Books & Memorabilia



The Wainwright Society

Visitcumbria.com on Wainwright

BBC News Report on Wainwright guides being dropped by Michael Joseph
*
The Man Behind the Mountains
(BBC Radio 4)
Data visualisation of all 214 Wainwright's Fells

Lake District Walks

Wainwrights On The Air (WOTA for short) is an adventure radio programme for amateur radio enthusiasts

Alfred Wainwright archive including manuscripts, drawings, correspondence, photographs, and personal papers, at Cumbria Archive Centre, Kendal
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wainwright, Alfred 1907 births 1991 deaths People from Blackburn People from Kendal Walkers of the United Kingdom English non-fiction outdoors writers English travel writers English illustrators Writers who illustrated their own writing English television personalities 20th-century British writers English agnostics Members of the Order of the British Empire