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Pictorial Guides to the Lakeland Fells #7
A Pictorial Guide To The Lakeland Fells: The Western Fells
Book by Wainwright, A.
150 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2003
4 people are currently reading
58 people want to read
About the author
Alfred Wainwright
217 books39 followersAlfred Wainwright was born in Blackburn, Lancashire to Thomas Wainwright and Elizabeth Nixon.[citation needed] His family was relatively poor, mostly due to his stonemason father's alcoholism. He did very well at school (first in nearly every subject)[1] 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 further 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 also showed a great interest in drawing and cartography, producing his own maps of England and his local area.
In 1930, at the age of 23, Wainwright saved up enough money for a week's walking holiday in the Lake District with his cousin Eric Beardsall. They arrived in Windermere and climbed the nearby hill Orrest Head, where Wainwright saw his first view of the Lakeland fells. This moment marked the start of what he would later describe as his love affair with the Lake District. In 1931 he married his first wife, Ruth Holden, a local mill worker, with whom he had a son Peter. In 1941 Wainwright was able to move closer to the fells when he took a job (and with it a pay cut) at the Borough Treasurer's office in Kendal, Westmorland. 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 walked out three weeks before he retired. They later divorced. In 1970 he married Betty McNally (1922–2008), also a divorcee, who became his walking companion and who eventually carried his ashes to Innominate Tarn at the top of Haystacks.
In 1930, at the age of 23, Wainwright saved up enough money for a week's walking holiday in the Lake District with his cousin Eric Beardsall. They arrived in Windermere and climbed the nearby hill Orrest Head, where Wainwright saw his first view of the Lakeland fells. This moment marked the start of what he would later describe as his love affair with the Lake District. In 1931 he married his first wife, Ruth Holden, a local mill worker, with whom he had a son Peter. In 1941 Wainwright was able to move closer to the fells when he took a job (and with it a pay cut) at the Borough Treasurer's office in Kendal, Westmorland. 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 walked out three weeks before he retired. They later divorced. In 1970 he married Betty McNally (1922–2008), also a divorcee, who became his walking companion and who eventually carried his ashes to Innominate Tarn at the top of Haystacks.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
July 31, 2009
If you love England, love walking or hiking, and know the Lake District, then you probably already own one of the books in this series. The Western Fells is my favourite simply because it covers my favourite peak - Great Gable.
Most people are amazed at and fall in love with the intricacy of the drawings and knowledge contained in these books. Although the times have changed, the landscape of the lakes has altered surprisingly little, keeping these guides accurate. However, that is not now their point. They are more a work of art whose subject is the most beautiful part of England.
Most people are amazed at and fall in love with the intricacy of the drawings and knowledge contained in these books. Although the times have changed, the landscape of the lakes has altered surprisingly little, keeping these guides accurate. However, that is not now their point. They are more a work of art whose subject is the most beautiful part of England.
Displaying 1 of 1 review