WAINWRIGHT IN LOWESWATE
How did Alfred Wainwright get around the Lakes without a car ? Chris Butter�ield has the a
When Wainwright approached the hamlet of Loweswater for the last time in the early autumn of 1965 , I wondered if he felt both relieved and saddened , knowing his 13-year guidebook odyssey would soon be coming to an end . Perhaps he lingered on the �inal fell , Starling Dodd , longer than he intended , with the realisation that he may never return to these parts again .
It couldn ’ t have been easy when Wainwright began compiling the data for the seven Pictorial Guides to the Lakeland Fells between 1952 and 1965 . Not only was he working full-time as Kendal Borough Treasurer , but he also couldn ’ t drive . This meant spending every weekend travelling to the fells on buses . There wouldn ’ t have been as many bus services as today , and several fells in the western region would have been tough for Wainwright to reach without a car .
In 2021 , I acquired several letters penned by Wainwright in 1965 / 6 to his friend Mr Kirkby . Whilst reading them , I was surprised to see Wainwright ’ s admission to using taxis to complete The Western Fells guidebook . He didn ’ t seem pleased that he had to resort to help but took it in good humour . After reading the letters , I was left with unanswered questions . Did he mean a paid taxi or a lift from a friend , and where did he travel from and to ?
I contacted the previous owner of the letters , Dot Davison from Cumbria , who con�irmed Wainwright referred to ‘ paid ’ taxis . Dot acquired the letters in 2014 from her friend Ena Davidson , who lived in a residential home in Keswick for several years before she died in 2016 . Dot recalls Ena saying Mr Kirkby was a bank manager from Keswick and her walking partner for many years . Mr
8 outdoor focus / autumn 2023