There are more stories about Alfred Wainwright than about any other fellwalker. A list of his favourite places would fill volumes. He once though tried to sum up the best places of the lakes in a walk. No one but Wainwright would have thought of inviting his friends for a weekend walking 107 miles across the highest tops of Lakeland, but he did.
The Wainwright Memorial Walk is Wainwright’s own account of the epic walk, named “Memorial” after his death). It loops over many tops, the best in Westmorland and Cumberland, and with the best views of the shining waters which lie between the fells. It is not a walk I would recommend trying in even a long weekend, but when challenged, the sights seen are spectacular.
I have so far only walked short stretches of the Memorial Walk, but my eyes are always turned towards the hills with a map and compass ready.
See main article:
Books and maps
- ‘The Wainwright Memorial Walk‘ (compiled by Michael Joseph Ltd, 1998)
- High Fells of Lakeland – Pathfinder Mountain walks guidebook
- Julia Bradbury’s Wainwright Walks (2012)
- Walking the Wainwrights with Stuart Marshall (2000)