Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells
Encyclopedia
A Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells is a series of seven books by A. Wainwright
, detailing the fell
s (the local word for hills and mountains) of the Lake District
in northwest England
. Written over a period of 13 years from 1952, they consist entirely of reproductions of Wainwright's manuscript
, hand-produced in pen and ink with no typeset
material.
The series has been in print almost continuously since it was first published between 1955 and 1966, with more than 2 million copies sold. It is still regarded by many walkers
as the definitive guide to the Lakeland mountains. The 214 fells described in the seven volumes have become known as the Wainwrights, and it has been estimated that around 500 people have climbed them all.
s of the revised editions, are:
of the fell, comprehensive details and 3-dimensional drawings of ascent routes, ridge
routes to other fells, routes of descent and a description of the summit. Carefully annotated pen and ink drawings of ascents and views accompany the details of each fell. Each book starts with a description of the geography of the area and ends with Some personal notes in conclusion.
Unlike many authors who dedicate
books to particular people known to them, Wainwright commences each book with an unusual dedication. These are:
Wainwright, notoriously shy, also includes one drawing of himself in each book, generally from behind, of him admiring a particular view. These are:
In the notes at the end of Book 7, Wainwright lists what he considers to be the 'finest half-dozen' fells in Lakeland. His list consists of:
, in order to adjust the content to the present-day Lake District. Chris Jesty has and continues to undertake the revisions, using an imitation of Wainwright's hand lettering to make the alterations look as unobtrusive as possible. The most notable changes are that the covers of the revised books show photographs of the Lake District by Derry Brabbs, rather than the drawings that were on the covers of the originals, and the maps show the main paths in red.
As of June 2011 all seven books in the 'Lakeland Fells' series plus A Coast to Coast Walk and The Outlying Fells of Lakeland have been issued in these revised editions. A revised edition of Pennine Way Companion is in preparation for publication in 2012, as are Walks in Limestone Country and Walks on the Howgill Fells according to publishers Frances Lincoln.
A 50th anniversary edition and a box set of the original edition have been published. Leather bound versions can be found secondhand.
) to 3210 feet (Scafell Pike
). Completing all the Wainwrights is a popular peak bagging
challenge. The Wainwrights differ from other bagging lists such as the Munros and Marilyns, however, in that Wainwright never set out to compile such a list himself, and inclusion is not based on objective criteria such as altitude
or prominence
.
Alfred Wainwright
Alfred Wainwright MBE was a British fellwalker, guidebook author and illustrator. His seven-volume Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells, published between 1955 and 1966 and consisting entirely of reproductions of his manuscript, has become the standard reference work to 214 of the fells of the...
, detailing the fell
Fell
“Fell” is a word used to refer to mountains, or certain types of mountainous landscape, in Scandinavia, the Isle of Man, and parts of northern England.- Etymology :...
s (the local word for hills and mountains) of the Lake District
Lake District
The Lake District, also commonly known as The Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous region in North West England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous not only for its lakes and its mountains but also for its associations with the early 19th century poetry and writings of William Wordsworth...
in northwest England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Written over a period of 13 years from 1952, they consist entirely of reproductions of Wainwright's manuscript
Manuscript
A manuscript or handwrite is written information that has been manually created by someone or some people, such as a hand-written letter, as opposed to being printed or reproduced some other way...
, hand-produced in pen and ink with no typeset
Typesetting
Typesetting is the composition of text by means of types.Typesetting requires the prior process of designing a font and storing it in some manner...
material.
The series has been in print almost continuously since it was first published between 1955 and 1966, with more than 2 million copies sold. It is still regarded by many walkers
Hillwalking
In the British Isles, the terms hillwalking or fellwalking are commonly used to describe the recreational outdoor activity of walking on hills and mountains, often with the intention of visiting their summits...
as the definitive guide to the Lakeland mountains. The 214 fells described in the seven volumes have become known as the Wainwrights, and it has been estimated that around 500 people have climbed them all.
The books
The books, with the ISBNInternational Standard Book Number
The International Standard Book Number is a unique numeric commercial book identifier based upon the 9-digit Standard Book Numbering code created by Gordon Foster, Emeritus Professor of Statistics at Trinity College, Dublin, for the booksellers and stationers W.H...
s of the revised editions, are:
- Book 1 — The Eastern Fells ISBN 0-7112-2454-4
- Book 2 — The Far Eastern Fells ISBN 0-7112-2455-2
- Book 3 — The Central Fells ISBN 0-7112-2456-0
- Book 4 — The Southern Fells ISBN 0-7112-2457-9
- Book 5 — The Northern Fells ISBN 0-7112-2458-7
- Book 6 — The Northwestern Fells ISBN 0-7112-2459-5
- Book 7 — The Western Fells ISBN 0-7112-2460-9
Style and layout
Each of the fells covered by the guides has its own chapter, which normally includes a mapMap
A map is a visual representation of an area—a symbolic depiction highlighting relationships between elements of that space such as objects, regions, and themes....
of the fell, comprehensive details and 3-dimensional drawings of ascent routes, ridge
Ridge
A ridge is a geological feature consisting of a chain of mountains or hills that form a continuous elevated crest for some distance. Ridges are usually termed hills or mountains as well, depending on size. There are several main types of ridges:...
routes to other fells, routes of descent and a description of the summit. Carefully annotated pen and ink drawings of ascents and views accompany the details of each fell. Each book starts with a description of the geography of the area and ends with Some personal notes in conclusion.
Unlike many authors who dedicate
Dedication
Dedication is the act of consecrating an altar, temple, church or other sacred building. It also refers to the inscription of books or other artifacts when these are specifically addressed or presented to a particular person. This practice, which once was used to gain the patronage and support of...
books to particular people known to them, Wainwright commences each book with an unusual dedication. These are:
- Book 1: "The Men of the Ordnance SurveyOrdnance SurveyOrdnance Survey , an executive agency and non-ministerial government department of the Government of the United Kingdom, is the national mapping agency for Great Britain, producing maps of Great Britain , and one of the world's largest producers of maps.The name reflects its creation together with...
" - Book 2: "The Men who Built the Stone Walls"
- Book 3: "The Dogs of Lakeland"
- Book 4: "The Sheep of Lakeland"
- Book 5: "The Solitary wanderers on the fells"
- Book 6: "My right leg and my left leg"
- Book 7: "All who have helped me"
Wainwright, notoriously shy, also includes one drawing of himself in each book, generally from behind, of him admiring a particular view. These are:
- Book 1: View of BlencathraBlencathraBlencathra, also known as Saddleback, is one of the most northerly mountains in the English Lake District. It has six separate fell tops, of which the highest is the Hallsfell Top.-Name:...
from Clough HeadClough HeadClough Head is a fell in the English Lake District. It is the northernmost top of the Helvellyn range in the Eastern Fells, standing to the south of Threlkeld and the A66.-Topography:... - Book 2: View of HaweswaterHaweswater ReservoirHaweswater is a reservoir in the English Lake District, built in the valley of Mardale in the county of Cumbria. The controversial construction of the Haweswater dam started in 1929, after Parliament passed an Act giving the Manchester Corporation permission to build the reservoir to supply water...
from Harter FellHarter FellHarter Fell may refer to the following locations in England:*Harter Fell in Eskdale in the Lake District National Park, Cumbria*Harter Fell in Mardale, also in the Lake District National Park*Harter Fell in Lunedale, in the Teesdale district of County Durham... - Book 3: View of ThirlmereThirlmereThirlmere is a reservoir in the Borough of Allerdale in Cumbria and the English Lake District. It runs roughly south to north, with a dam at the northern end, and is bordered on the eastern side by the A591 road and on the western side by a minor road....
from Raven CragRaven CragRaven Crag is a fell in the English Lake District. It acts as a superb vantage point for, and backdrop to, views across Thirlmere reservoir.-Topography:... - Book 4: View of the Pinnacle, Scafell
- Book 5: BinseyBinseyBinsey is a hill on the northern edge of the Lake District in Cumbria, England. It is detached from the rest of the Lakeland hills, and thus provides a good spot to look out at the Northern and North Western Fells of the Lake District, as well as the coastal plain and, across the Solway Firth,...
summit with "ancient Briton" (ie. the author) - Book 6: View of High StileHigh StileHigh Stile is a mountain in the western part of the Lake District in northwest England. It is the eleventh highest English Marilyn, standing 807 metres high, and has a relative height of 362 metres ....
from Lanthwaite Hill - Book 7: View of YewbarrowYewbarrowYewbarrow is a fell in the English Lake District which lies immediately north of the head of Wast Water. It is 628 metres high and in shape resembles the upturned hull of a boat or a barrow. Yewbarrow is on the left in the classic view of Great Gable and Wast Water.The top of Stirrup Crag...
from Gatherstone Head
In the notes at the end of Book 7, Wainwright lists what he considers to be the 'finest half-dozen' fells in Lakeland. His list consists of:
- Scafell PikeScafell PikeScafell Pike is the highest mountain in England at . It is located in Lake District National Park sometimes confused with the neighbouring Sca Fell, to which it is connected by the col of Mickledore...
- BowfellBowfellBowfell is a pyramid-shaped mountain lying at the heart of the English Lake District, in the Southern Fells area. It is the sixth highest mountain in the lakes and one of the most popular of the Lake District fells...
- PillarPillar (Lake District)Pillar is a mountain in the western part of the English Lake District. Situated between the valleys of Ennerdale to the north and Wasdale to the south, it is the highest point of the Pillar group . At 892 metres it is the eighth highest mountain in the Lake District...
- Great GableGreat GableGreat Gable is a mountain lying at the very heart of the English Lake District, appearing as a pyramid from Wasdale , but as a dome from most other directions. It is one of the most popular of the Lakeland fells, and there are many different routes to the summit...
- BlencathraBlencathraBlencathra, also known as Saddleback, is one of the most northerly mountains in the English Lake District. It has six separate fell tops, of which the highest is the Hallsfell Top.-Name:...
- Crinkle CragsCrinkle CragsCrinkle 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 as its summit ridge is a series of five rises and depressions ...
Publication
In 2005, the series began factual revision by the publishers Frances LincolnFrances Lincoln Publishers
Frances Lincoln Publishers is a British book publishing company based in London, founded by Frances Lincoln.The company was founded in 1977. It produces illustrated books, especially on art, architecture, design, gardening, landscape, and walking. In 1983, Francis Lincoln also started to publish...
, in order to adjust the content to the present-day Lake District. Chris Jesty has and continues to undertake the revisions, using an imitation of Wainwright's hand lettering to make the alterations look as unobtrusive as possible. The most notable changes are that the covers of the revised books show photographs of the Lake District by Derry Brabbs, rather than the drawings that were on the covers of the originals, and the maps show the main paths in red.
As of June 2011 all seven books in the 'Lakeland Fells' series plus A Coast to Coast Walk and The Outlying Fells of Lakeland have been issued in these revised editions. A revised edition of Pennine Way Companion is in preparation for publication in 2012, as are Walks in Limestone Country and Walks on the Howgill Fells according to publishers Frances Lincoln.
A 50th anniversary edition and a box set of the original edition have been published. Leather bound versions can be found secondhand.
Wainwright bagging
The 214 fells included in the series are now generally known as 'the Wainwrights'. These range in height from 985 feet (Castle CragCastle Crag
Castle Crag is a hill in the North Western Fells of the English Lake District. It is the smallest hill included in Alfred Wainwright's influential Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells, the only Wainwright below 1,000 ft....
) to 3210 feet (Scafell Pike
Scafell Pike
Scafell Pike is the highest mountain in England at . It is located in Lake District National Park sometimes confused with the neighbouring Sca Fell, to which it is connected by the col of Mickledore...
). Completing all the Wainwrights is a popular peak bagging
Peak bagging
Peak bagging is an activity in which hillwalkers and mountaineers attempt to reach the summit of some collection of peaks, usually those above some height in a particular region, or having a particular feature.Peak bagging can be distinguished from highpointing...
challenge. The Wainwrights differ from other bagging lists such as the Munros and Marilyns, however, in that Wainwright never set out to compile such a list himself, and inclusion is not based on objective criteria such as altitude
Altitude
Altitude or height is defined based on the context in which it is used . As a general definition, altitude is a distance measurement, usually in the vertical or "up" direction, between a reference datum and a point or object. The reference datum also often varies according to the context...
or prominence
Topographic prominence
In topography, prominence, also known as autonomous height, relative height, shoulder drop , or prime factor , categorizes the height of the mountain's or hill's summit by the elevation between it and the lowest contour line encircling it and no higher summit...
.