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BOOK REVIEW

by John Burland, Wainwright Society Press & Publicity

(review first published in Footsteps)

Wainwright’s TV Walks

On the back of the recent BBC series of Wainwright Walks, its six-part sequel, and the seven-part Granada series Wainwright Country, Frances Lincoln have produced a book containing all of Wainwright’s chapters for the seventeen walks featured in the three series, plus a bonus walk from The Outlying Fells of Lakeland. Over 250 pages from the Pictorial Guides are brought together in this one handy volume. The book will probably appeal more to new walkers taking to the fells rather than existing walkers who will probably own each of the seven Pictorial Guides anyway.

Society Chairman Eric Robson sets the scene for each walk with stories from the days he spent filming with the great fellwalker, adding his own personal impressions of the fell and the chosen ascent. Practical sections give the [OS] grid ref for the start of each walk, its length, the ascent in feet, the required [OS] map to take, and suggestions for the best route down.

The book features the following fells with, in brackets, by which ascent the televised walk was made: Helvellyn (from Glenridding via Striding Edge); Stybarrow Dodd (from Sticks Pass); High Street (from Mardale via Rough Crag); Thornthwaite Crag (from Hartsop); Eagle Crag (from Stonethwaite); Helm Crag (from Grasmere); Bowfell (from Langdale via Crinkle Crags); Pike o’ Blisco (from Wrynose); Scafell Pike (from Borrowdale via Esk Hause); Blencathra (via Sharp Edge); Great Calva (via Whitewater Dash); Knott Rigg and Ard Crags (from Newlands Hause); Castle Crag (from Borrowdale); Catbells (from Hawse End); Haystacks (from Gatesgarth); Pillar (from Black Sail via the High Level Traverse); Yewbarrow (from Overbeck Bridge), and Stickle Pike (from Broughton Mills).

This list provides a wide variety of walks both in distance and difficulty, and for anyone starting in the footsteps of the master fellwalker gives a good introduction to all areas of the Lake District. One disappointment I have, however, is that the book uses the routes from AW’s original editions whereas I feel it would have been better to have used the Chris Jesty updated versions of those books so far published.

You can contact John Burland by e-mail at publicity@wainwright.org.uk