Born in Blackburn, Lancashire he first visited the Lake District when he was 23 and fell in love with the area. He later moved to Kendal and devoted his life to mapping the area, writing seven guidebooks. His Pictorial Guides to the Lakeland Fells are a unique mixture of beautiful pen-and-ink sketches, maps and musings.
Wainwright died in 1991 and there is a memorial to him in the church at Buttermere. His ashes were scattered above the village on his favourite mountain, Haystacks.
A Wainwright is the summit of what A.W. - as he preferred to be called - thought were true fell tops. There are 214 ‘Wainwrights’ which many walkers try to get to the top of or ‘bag’.
Many of our guided walks take in Wainwright 'summits'.
