Sunday afternoon Countrystride Live double-whammy celebrating the Lake District fells, featuring archivist Chris Butterfield discussing the origins of Alfred Wainwright’s Pictorial Guides – and Wainwright’s original list of Lakeland fells, which contained considerably more than 214 – followed by an all-star panel debate that will decide, with audience help, the king of the hills.
First half: Origins of Aflred Wainwright’s 214In the first half of our celebration of the fells, Wainwright archivist and author Chris Butterfield will explore the beginnings of Alfred Wainwright’s iconic 214-fell project and the creation of the Pictorial Guides to the Lakeland Fells. Showcasing original letters and Wainwright’s personal notes, Chris will trace how the seeds of an idea developed into the best-selling seven-volume series. He will look at Wainwright’s arrival in Kendal in 1941, his growing ambition to produce a book about Lakeland, and the experiences that eventually led him to begin his 13-year guidebook project. He will then examine Wainwright’s design process, showing how the structure of the guides continued to evolve until the familiar format was finally settled upon. Chris will show Wainwright’s rare original list of Lakeland fells, which contained considerably more than the final 214. Detailing some of the ommissions, he will explore how Wainwright arrived at the list we recognise today and pose the age-old question: what exactly defines a Wainwright?
Second half: Lakeland’s finest fellWainwright’s ‘214’ fells have drawn ramblers and mountain enthusiasts to the high places of Lakeland for generations. In this exclusive Countrystride Live event, join author and presenter Mark Richards; former Fell Top Assessor, mountaineering/climbing Instructor and author of Walking the Wainwrights Graham Uney; 10-times Wainwright completer (6,000 fell ascents and counting - most by bus!) and author Anna Nolan; and Nordic walker and mountain leader Nicky Merrett as we engage in an entirely unscientific ‘fantasy fells’ endeavour to decide – with the help of our audience – which is the finest Wainwright fell.
Our panel:
Mark Richards: Strongly influenced by his mother’s roots in the Yorkshire Dales, from his youth Mark has adored the hills and dales of northern England. Mark gained encouragement in directing his passions for pen and ink drawing and walking into writing and illustrating walking guides from Alfred Wainwright, with whom he spent many weekends in the '70s. Mark is the author of numerous guidebooks, including his seminal eight-volume Lakeland Fellranger series featuring 230 Lakeland fells. He is the presenter of the Countrystride podcast.
Anna Nolan: Anna is a linguist, educationalist, author and satirist who worked as an English teacher, broadcaster at the BBC, the manager of public examinations and a developer of national qualifications. Now retired, Anna is a walking group leader who has completed ten rounds (with the eleventh nearing completion) of the Wainwrights – most by bus – with a cumulative tally of 6,000+ fells and counting.
Graham Uney: Author and mountaineer Graham is one of the Lakeland’s most prolific outdoorsmen, having guided thousands of people onto the fells in a career spanning 30+ years. A Mountain Leader, Winter Mountain Leader, Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor, Graham spent 5 winters as a Fell Top Assessor and is the author of 12 guidebook titles, including ‘Mountain Walks: Scafell’ and ‘Walking the Wainwrights’.
Nicky Merrett: Mountain Leader, Nordic Walking Coach and Cumbria-born-and-bred Nicky, alongside her team of 12 mountain leaders at Hiking Highs, has been leading walkers and teaching mountain skills to outdoors enthusiasts on the Lakeland fells for 12+ years. With a particular passion for the deer strongholds of the quieter fells, Nicky’s family come from Patterdale, and were strongly connected to Mardale. Now living in the foothills of Helvellyn, the Lakes’ third highest peak, it is her playground – but is it her favourite fell?
The discussion is chaired by author, publisher and Countrystride producer
David Felton. Audience members will be able to access the Rheged Forty Fells exhibition before the talk.
This event is part of a programme of events in response to the Forty Fells Photography Exhibition (free admission) in our main art gallery at Rheged. It’s a collaboration between International Photography Award winner Tom McNally and Lakeland Book of the Year winner, David Felton as they set out to record conversations about change in the Lake District Mountains and record the ancient and modern stories both visually and through words. A follow on to the hugely successful Forty Farm Exhibition, Forty Fells is also accompanied by a new book. David Felton will be in the main Gallery for the hour before the talk, to answer any questions on Forty Fells.
1.5 hr plus questions.
Photograph courtesy of Tom McNally.