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Telegraph
04-05-2025
- Telegraph
The 10 best Wainwright walks in the Lake District
In 1955, Alfred Wainwright's debut Lake District walking guidebook was published. Few realised the moment's significance or that it was the first step towards Wainwright's improbable rise to God-like status in Lakeland. Born into poverty in Blackburn in 1907, Wainwright's world turned on a dime in 1930. Aged 23, he climbed his first Lakeland fell – and the experience 'cast a spell that changed my life'. He spent the next few decades meticulously climbing, drawing and writing about the Lakeland fells. By 1966 his masterpiece was finished. Part guidebook, part love letter to the mountains, the seven-book series of Pictorial Guides to the Lakeland Fells eulogised 214 peaks with poetic descriptions and beautiful landscape drawings. The series became the bible of Lake District fellwalking – a definitive work of unparalleled cultural influence. But, how many Wainwright walks are there? Seventy years later, climbing all 214 remains a popular peak-bagging challenge. I've completed four rounds of Alfred's list and each journey has been life-affirming. Thousands of other walkers feel the same. But which are the best Wainwright walks? From iconic peaks to family-friendly hills, here are 10 unmissable routes: 1. Haystacks In Wainwright's words: 'For a man trying to get a persistent worry out of his mind, the top of Haystacks is a wonderful cure.' Haystacks is Wainwright's eternal resting place. After his death in 1991, his ashes were scattered on the shores of Innominate Tarn, a small body of water to the south-east of the summit, nestled on wonderfully rugged ground between the valleys of Buttermere and Ennerdale. With his characteristic humour and stoicism, Wainwright joked in his book Fellwanderer: 'And if you, dear reader, should get a bit of grit in your boot as you are crossing Haystacks in the years to come, please treat it with respect. It might be me.' Grieved to not include Haystacks in his list of the best six fells, by virtue of its inferior height, Wainwright wrote that 'for sheer fascination and unique individuality' Haystacks is the 'best fell-top of all – a place of great charm and fairytale attractiveness'. This classic route climbs from Gatesgarth to the summit via Scarth Gap col and returning via Innominate Tarn and Warnscale Beck. Stay nearby Kirkstile Inn (01900 85219) in Loweswater has double rooms from £145, including breakfast. 2. Dove Crag In Wainwright's words: 'Here, in small compass, is a tangle of rough country, a maze of steep cliffs, gloomy hollows and curious foothills gnarled like the knuckles of a clenched fist, with the charming valley of Dovedale below and the main crag frowning down over all.' In May 1955, Wainwright's first walking guidebook – A Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells: Book One, The Eastern Fells – was published. He described it as 'one man's way of expressing his devotion to Lakeland's friendly hills', adding 'it is, in very truth, a love letter'. Dove Crag was the first chapter Wainwright wrote for this book, and the first tentative step in what would become a seven-book labour of love lasting over a decade. Famed for its rock climbing routes and much-photographed Priest's Hole cave, Dove Crag is commonly ticked off as part of the classic Fairfield Horseshoe route from Ambleside. But that is to miss the mountain's best aspect. Start from the Patterdale side, near Brothers Water, and you'll get 'a much more interesting and intimate approach, the sharp transition from the soft loveliness of the valley to the desolation above being very impressive', as Wainwright put it. Stay nearby Another Place The Lake (017684 86442) has double rooms from £250, including breakfast. 3. Orrest Head In Wainwright's words: 'Orrest Head, for many of us, is 'where we came in' – our first ascent in Lakeland, our first sight of mountains in tumultuous array across glittering water, our awakening to beauty ... here the promised land is seen in all its glory.' In a Sliding Doors moment of life-altering significance, a 23-year-old Wainwright travelled by bus from Blackburn to Windermere in 1930. He climbed Orrest Head, a dinky 781ft hill above the town, but the experience proved monumental. 'It was a moment of magic, a revelation so unexpected that I stood transfixed, unable to believe my eyes. I had seen landscapes of rural beauty pictured in the local art gallery, but here was no painted canvas; this was real.' Confusingly, Orrest Head isn't one of the official 214 Wainwrights. Instead, it's included in Alfred's lesser-known list of 116 Lake District 'infants'. In The Outlying Fells of Lakeland, Wainwright documents 'the foothills of Lakeland, the minor eminences around the perimeter, the little bumps we never bothered about before'. This makes Orrest Head a quick and easy bimble for the whole family, accessible from Windermere train station. Stay nearby Lindeth Fell Country House (015394 43286) in Bowness-on-Windermere has double rooms from £199, including breakfast. 4. Helm Crag In Wainwright's words: 'It gives an exhilarating little climb, a brief essay in real mountaineering, and, in a region where all is beautiful, it makes a notable contribution to the natural charms and attractions of Grasmere.' Helm Crag is undoubtedly one of the Lake District's best small fells. It's a delightful out-and-back climb from the chocolate box village of Grasmere – the best of Lakeland distilled into a few hours of hiking hedonism. Sprightly grandparents and intrepid toddlers can get involved too, so it's an outing for the whole family, ideally with a pack of Grasmere Gingerbread – a moreish delicacy baked to a secret recipe in the village since 1854. But you'll be forgiven for not quite making it to the true summit, not least because Wainwright himself allegedly wimped out of it. Soaring with ferocity from Helm Crag's grassy crest is a fear-inducing slab of angled rock known as The Howitzer, a craggy pinnacle marking the official highest point. It's a perilous scramble to the top. Some courageous walkers will overcome the climb; but, like Alfred, it's more than acceptable to give it a miss – you can still say you've conquered Helm Crag. Stay nearby The Forest Side (015394 35250) in Grasmere has double rooms from £319, including breakfast. 5. Great Gable In Wainwright's words: 'Great Gable is a favourite of all fellwalkers, and first favourite with many. Right from the start of one's apprenticeship in the hills, the name appeals magically. It is a good name for a mountain, strong, challenging, compelling, starkly descriptive.' This ancient pile of lava and volcanic ash is a mountain that means many different things to many different people. To some Great Gable is the birthplace of British rock climbing, where in 1886 tweed-wearing WP Haskett Smith first conquered Napes Needle, a teetering 20-metre rocky spike piercing out of Gable's southern flanks. To others, it's the centrepiece of the Great Gift war memorial, a vast tranche of mountainous land endowed to the nation as a permanent shrine to the fallen heroes of the First World War. To many more, it's simply an amazing place to go walking. There are numerous ways to tackle Great Gable, but this route from Borrowdale is one of the best. The ascent via the wonderfully-named Sourmilk Gill, as well as Green Gable and Windy Gap, is a lung-busting climb requiring good hill legs, while the descent by Styhead Tarn and Stockley Bridge is similarly tough yet achingly pretty. Stay nearby Lodore Falls Hotel & Spa (017687 77285) in Borrowdale has double rooms from £203, including breakfast. 6. Pillar In Wainwright's words: 'It dominates the sunset area of Lakeland superbly, springing out of the valleys of Mosedale and Ennerdale, steeply on the one side and dramatically on the other, as befits the overlord of the western scene.' Towering above the head of Ennerdale with a bulky grandeur, Pillar is an imposing sight – the kind that entices and terrifies at the same time. The name, however, is a little misleading. Shaped less like a slender, vertical pillar and more like a broad, sprawling mass, this rugged mountain is none the less not a place for the faint-hearted, particularly if you take on this adrenaline-inducing route. Known as the High Level Route and Shamrock Traverse here the terrain is a halfway house between hiking and scrambling. Sure-footedness, a head for heights and competent navigational skills are essential, in order to avoid the 'difficulties and dangers' all-round, as Wainwright put it. But stick safely to the traverse and you'll get up close and personal with Pillar Rock, a gigantic buttress jutting out of the mountain's north face like a gothic cathedral of crag and cliff – a mesmerising scene of Lakeland brutality. Stay nearby The Woolpack Inn (01946 723230) in Eskdale has double rooms from £110, including breakfast. 7. Crinkle Crags In Wainwright's words: 'Crinkle Crags is much too good to be missed. For the mountaineer who prefers his mountains rough, who likes to see steep craggy slopes towering before him into the sky, who enjoys an up-and-down ridge walk full of interesting nooks and corners, who has an appreciative eye for magnificent views, this is a climb deserving of high priority.' At the end of his series' final instalment – Book Seven, The Western Fells – Wainwright listed the 'finest half-dozen' mountains in the Lake District, selecting the best of the best based on 'the attributes of mountains; height, a commanding appearance, a good view, steepness and ruggedness'. Alongside Scafell Pike, Bowfell, Pillar, Great Gable and Blencathra, Crinkle Crags made the cut. This may surprise some, but Wainwright was unwavering in his assessment, describing the summit of Crinkle Crags as a 'scene of desolation and rugged grandeur equalled by few others'. From the charming valley of Great Langdale, this route ascends via Great Knott and descends via The Band. In between is a 'crinkly' succession of ups and downs, an undulating spine of craggy towers and rocky depressions. It's superlative walking terrain and the perfect way to earn a post-hike pint (or two) at the much-loved Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel. Stay nearby Brimstone Hotel (015394 38014) in Great Langdale has double rooms from £408, including breakfast. 8. Cat Bells In Wainwright's words:'Cat Bells is one of the great favourites, a family fell where grandmothers and infants can climb the heights together, a place beloved.' Cat Bells is an incredibly popular fell, attracting hordes of Keswick tourists daily. But somehow the crowds don't detract from the enjoyment. Cat Bells is a place for young, old and everyone in between – all rejoicing in the beauty of Lakeland. Sweeping aesthetically above Derwent Water with a distinctive profile, Cat Bells is a little fell with big features: a taste of scrambling, a domed summit and eye-watering views over Borrowdale. Car parking is a nightmare, so the easiest (and most fun) option is to cruise across the lake from Keswick to Hawse End on a Keswick Launch ferry. The walk's ascent and descent are both steep, but the return along the Cumbria Way shoreline path is almost as delightful as the summit itself. Stay nearby The Cottage in the Wood (017687 78409) in Braithwaite has double rooms from £380, including half board. 9. Place Fell In Wainwright's words: 'It occupies an exceptionally good position in the curve of Ullswater, in the centre of a great bowl of hills; its summit commands a very beautiful and impressive panorama.' Often labelled England's most beautiful lake, Ullswater is not short of first-rate walking routes. Hallin Fell, on the southern shoreline, is an excellent viewpoint. Sheffield Pike, to the west, is blessed with the perfect angle to ogle the lake's sweeping curves, while Gowbarrow Fell, on the northern shore, combines with Aira Force waterfall to make a delightful short outing. Or, if you're feeling more energetic, the 20-mile Ullswater Way loops the lake in a two or three-day journey of Lakeland splendour. But, of all Ullswater's charms, Wainwright believed Place Fell was the cream of the crop. This route from Patterdale, just to the south of Glenridding, climbs easily enough to Boredale Hause before veering north for Place Fell's summit. The return leg via Hare Shaw, the lakeshore path and Side Farm completes a lovely loop. As Wainwright put it: 'One cannot look long at Place Fell without duly setting forth to climb it. The time is very well spent.' Stay nearby The Inn on the Lake (017684 82444) in Glenridding has double rooms from £165, including breakfast. 10. Blencathra In Wainwright's words: 'This is a mountain that compels attention, even from those dull people whose eyes are not habitually lifted to the hills.' The second highest of the northern fells, behind mighty Skiddaw, Blencathra is none the less number one in the hearts and minds of hikers in these parts of Lakeland. Soaring above the village of Threlkeld, to the east of Keswick, Blencathra dominates the skyline, with its five southern buttresses – scarred by four deep gullies – forming a remarkable façade of mountain. Many intrepid walkers will be drawn, however, to the northern side of the fell, where the barbed, razor-like arête of Sharp Edge serves up an iconic grade one scramble. But Wainwright was more enamoured by the southern aspect, describing the Hall's Fell ascent of Blencathra as 'positively the finest way to any mountain-top in the district', with an 'exhilarating' climb that satisfyingly 'scores a bulls-eye by leading unerringly to the summit-cairn'. Suitable only for confident scramblers, this route climbs the craggy spine of Hall's Fell before returning via the gentler ridge of Doddick Fell – one of Lakeland's most adventurous half-day outings. Stay nearby Inn on the Square Hotel (017687 73333) in Keswick has double rooms from £130, including breakfast.
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Yahoo
The Five Lake District fells considered the most dangerous to climb
As Summer is approaching, a hike in the Lake District becomes an appealing prospect to people of all abilities. However, many fells have hikes that can be dangerous if you are not proficient enough, and with common unpredictability, we have highlighted the most dangerous hikes throughout the Lake District. Drone shot of Sharp Edge (Image: Stuart Holmes) Sharp Edge is akin to a knife-edge ridge requiring nerves of steel. It is a fully exposed grade I scramble in the Lake District, not to be undertaken lightly. Alfred Wainwright described the scramble: 'a rising crest of naked rock, of sensational and spectacular appearance, a breaking wave carved in stone.' Although only a couple of hundred meters long, the sharp drop either side of the ridge can feel like it takes a lifetime to navigate. Anywhere We Roam, a travel blog, recommend attempting Sharp Edge if you have some scrambling experience, are comfortable with heights and the conditions are good. Striding Edge is one of the most famous Lake District hikes (Image: Archive) Striding Edge is the famous and renowned ridge that flanks the south eastern passage to Helvellyn. The route should Only be tackled if you are experienced and confident enough in your own abilities to do so as many people have come to grief crossing Striding Edge. An airy ridge walk, the route requires a reasonable head for heights, scrambling skills in both ascent and descent, and experience to make your own judgements as to what is do-able. Despite its dangers, Striding Edge is also a historic route. This ridge was originally used as a trade route by locals, who would travel between the towns of Ambleside and Patterdale, over time, it became a popular spot for walkers and hikers, who were drawn to its breath-taking views and challenging terrain. Mountain surveyors climbing Swirral Edge Occupying the same fell as Striding Edge, Swirral Edge is an exposed scramble that should only be attempted if you're confident in your abilities and have a head for heights. Often used as a descent by walkers attempting Striding Edge, It is steeper but shorter than the aforementioned route. The views, however, are exceptional and the full panorama which you are granted from the third-highest point in England can be described as mind blowing. Both routes are mountaineering territory and crampons and axes are often needed along with the skills to use them, especially in winter. Weatherline service carries daily reports on conditions with advice on whether you need a full winter kit. At any time of year, be wary of strong winds on any narrow ridge. Scafell Pike is the highest mountain in England (Image: Callum Liptrot) Scafell Pike is the highest mountain in England with an elevation of 978 metres above sea level, and is home to the 'Bad Step' hike. The Scafell Pike Corridor Route from Seathwaite is said to be a challenging route to the summit of Scafell Pike. It's 16 km in length and involves some scrambling on a couple of sections. One of the hardest things about the Scafell Pike Corridor Route is its lack of clear waymarkers. This trail slips in and out of ridges following a wobbling path up to the summit. In addition to this, the summit plateau is mostly absent of any trail markings. Broad Stand is a scramble shortcut onto Scafell, from below it looks like a straightforward way up, but it's more difficult than it first appears and also can be a challenging descent. Consider taking a rope and small rack for protection if you are considering taking on this challenge, and possibly abseiling if you're descending. The poor rock holds lend itself to a high chance of hikers falling, which could create life threatening injuries. 290,000 people climb Scafell Pike each year, many of them taking part in the ' Three Peaks' to raise money for charity. However this mountain is one that gets the most rescue calls each year with over 600 dealing with people underestimating the challenge ahead.
Telegraph
24-04-2025
- Telegraph
How to tackle Britain's greatest walking route
The Pennine Way, a National Trail, is Britain's oldest long-distance footpath. Opened on April 24 1965 with a ceremony on Malham Moor, it paved the way for public access to some of England's wildest landscapes. The route passes through three national parks – the Peak District, the Yorkshire Dales and Northumberland – as well as the North Pennines National Landscape (formerly AONB). Approximately half the Way crosses open moorland or through pastures and about a tenth of the trail is forest, woodland or riverbank. Whose idea was it? Tom Stephenson (1893-1987) was brought up in Whalley and championed the creation of national parks and the right to roam. He was secretary of the Ramblers Association and, as a journalist at the Daily Herald, penned a seminal 1935 article about a 'long, green trail' linking the Pennines to Scotland. He campaigned tirelessly for 30 years to create the Pennine Way and authored the first official Pennine Way guidebook, published by HMSO in 1969. Alfred Wainwright's Pennine Way Companion was published by the Westmorland Gazette a year earlier. Where does it go? Despite being a Lancastrian man's vision, the Pennine Way bypasses the county, following England's rocky spine from the hills of the Derbyshire Peak District and the Yorkshire Dales, through the Swaledale Valley, across the North Pennines and over Hadrian's Wall in Northumberland to the Cheviot Hills, ending on the Scottish side of the Borders in Kirk Yetholm. On the official interactive map you'll notice that the route is not arrow-straight, with a major dog-leg close to Barnard Castle and a west-to-east section along Hadrian's Wall near Haltwhistle. Leisure-oriented towns within walking distance of the Way include Hebden Bridge, Haworth, Horton in Ribblesdale and Hawes. When in doubt – or lost – think: letter H. What are the highlights? The literal high points include Kinder Scout, Bleaklow Head, Black Hill, Pen-y-ghent, Black Hill, Great Shunner Fell, Great Dun Fell, Cross Fell, Windy Gyle and the Schil – ranging in altitude between 1,900 and 2,900 feet. Landmarks are the Kinder plateau, Malham Cove, the Tan Hill Inn (the UK's highest pub), Swaledale, High Force, Cauldron Snout, High Cup, Hadrian's Wall and the border ridge through The Cheviots. How long does it take? The official length of the Pennine Way is 268 miles, but most walkers hike something closer to 253 miles. The longer length includes both sides of the Bowes Loop, both route options into Kirk Yetholm, the alternative route at High Cup Nick and the detour to the summit of The Cheviot. Full-length walkers typically allow between 16 to 19 days to walk the Way, hiking 13-15 miles each day. It's no mean feat, and some people prefer to break it into three or four separate challenges, or walk only those sections where the landscape and weather are less inclined to be bleak and lonely. The National Trail website breaks the walk into 16 sections. Guidebook publisher Cicerone suggests splitting the Way into 20 one-day walks. How fit do you need to be? The original premise of the path was to be as natural as feasible, containing 'no concrete or asphalt'. Early Pennine Wayfarers faced bothersome stretches of waterlogged terrain, no rare thing along a watershed. There are still morasses and peat bogs – worst after winter and big storms – but, to protect the peat and to prevent the path from growing wider than the M6, slabs have been laid over many of the delicate, erosion-prone areas. The entire Pennine Way involves an ascent of 40,000 feet, more than summiting Everest. But there are very few steep gradients compared with tackling, say, the Lakeland fells or crossing the Pennines via the Coast to Coast. If you can read a map and comfortably walk at least 12 miles in a day, you will be capable of completing the Way. Add rest and recovery days to your schedule if you can afford the time. When to go? The Pennine Way is busiest in the summer months, when people take their big annual holidays. It's the most pleasant time to walk in Northern England, accommodation, pubs, facilities and bus services are up and running, and camping is viable. Long days and reliable(ish) sunshine turn even moorland tramping into a holiday experience. Spring and autumn can be lovely, too, with fine days and flowers or fading foliage. Newborn lambs add their cute baas to the birdsong in mid-spring. Autumn sees blackberries and, if the summer has been dry, solid ground underfoot. Winter is usually harsh in the Pennines, with bitter cold and deep snow getting more probable the further north you go, meaning walkers have to consider extra kit and back-up plans. Is the route waymarked? The Pennine Way is a designated right of way from start to finish. This means it should be open at all times and always be free of obstructions. The route comprises public footpaths, bridleways, byways and highways. Signposts usually include the works 'Pennine Way' and the official National Trail 'acorn' symbol, plus a directional arrow. The Pennine Way intersects with the Pennine Bridleway on a handful of occasions, when it pays to be alert so you don't take a major diversion. What direction is best? Most people walk the Pennine Way from south to north, because southwesterly winds are more common than northerlies or northeasterlies – and it's more pleasant to have the wind on your back than in your face. That said, if you go in the other direction, you can count on days getting warmer as you walk. The southern half also has more towns, villages, pubs, transport options and people. Can I cycle or ride it? Only 30 per cent of the route follows bridle paths, so if you want to cycle rather than walk you'll need to divert onto the equally challenging 205-mile Pennine Bridleway National Trail. It claims to be 'specially designed' for horseriders, but information on stabling and horse-friendly accommodation is thin on the ground. Where can I sleep? The Pennine Way has a range of accommodation options, including hotels, B&Bs, hostels, bunkhouses and campsites, but they tend to be clustered around busy villages and towns and in some places walkers may be limited to a single address. There are four bothies along the route – at Top Withens (aka 'Wuthering Heights'), on the north flank of Cross Fell (the highest peak on the Way), close to Lamb Hill and south of the Schil. Are luggage transfers available? A handful of companies offer accommodation booking and/or baggage transfer along the Pennine Way. Sherpavan and Brigantes – among others – provide luggage transfer services from March 31 to October 19. The idea is to carry what you need for 3-5 days and then swap all your kit. Transfers cost £23.50 to £40 per bag per move. Macs Adventure, Mickledore, and Walkers Britain are among the tour firms selling self-guided holiday packages, which are essentially accommodation bookings plus luggage couriers. Footpath Holidays offers three six-day walks (covering the whole Way) with guides, but its July 2025 departures are already sold out. See a comprehensive list of tour operators here. How do I travel to the start and end points? Most railway lines and bus routes cross the Pennines from east to west and vice-versa, and relatively few routes run parallel to the Pennine Way. Edale is on the Hope Valley line linking Manchester and Sheffield. Kirk Yetholm is served by the 81 bus from Kelso, which has the 67 bus to Berwick-upon-Tweed for the East Coast Main Line. More details here. What kit do I need? Standard backpacking gear is needed, including a rucksack you can comfortably carry, sturdy boots, hat, good waterproofs, a change of dry clothes, flashlight, sun protection and sunglasses. Check the weather and consider the season. Take the relevant OS map(s) – you can buy a weatherproof bundle of seven maps for less than £100 – and don't rely on phones, GPX or digital services. What do you get for completing it? Half a pint and a certificate at the Border Hotel in Kirk Yetholm – which has ensuite bedrooms with baths and showers.
The Guardian
20-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Walking the Pennine Way put everything into perspective for me, including my right to be here
Dear Pennine Way: I'd like to wish you a happy 60th birthday. Many thousands have trodden along you, and so have I. You've brought us blisters but also beautiful views, buoyed spirits and a renewed sense of belonging. I got the idea to walk the Pennine Way – which on 24 April turns 60 – after being racially abused on a TransPennine train journey. A man asked me if I had a British passport, threatened to set me on fire and told me to go back to where I'm from. The latter hit a nerve: I am from the North of England and proud of it. One day I was looking at a map of that journey and saw the Pennine mountains rising up. I zoomed closer and saw a place called Hope, and I determined that I'd walk through the glorious place I'm from and try to channel hope throughout. Walking was transformative to my physical and mental health. I'd been suffering from anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder – racism and inequality affect mental health. Walking was ameliorative as I focused my attention on the wonders of wildlife, burned away stress by the River Ribble and felt my heart beat louder as I hiked on up through the Yorkshire Dales, stopping to marvel at the view from Pen-y-ghent as the clouds began to clear. I walked along the 'backbone' of the country – as the Pennines are known due to their astonishing limestone cliff formations – as a way of showing backbone myself: I won't let racial abuse stop me adventuring in a country where I belong. My journey was inspired by the Manchester Ramblers from my home town, who walked against exclusion in the Kinder Scout mass trespass – which celebrates its 93rd anniversary also on 24 April. Their walk helped improve access to the countryside, paving the way for the formation of the Peak District (the country's first national park), the Pennine Way, and the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000. The Manchester Ramblers – immortalised in Ewan MacColl's song – showed that they could help walk the world to a better future. It's important to ensure that their hard-won freedoms aren't eroded: England's national parks are imperilled due to budget cuts. It's vital we speak up for their existence, for their belonging here. There were moments when I thought I couldn't go on – not least after almost toppling off Malham Cove – but what fuelled my footsteps, alongside the extraordinary landscape, was a burning sense of defiance. In Settle in the Yorkshire Dales, I saw a plaque commemorating the journey of Alfred Wainwright, who walked the Way in 1938 and wrote A Pennine Journey, published in 1986. Reading it was enraging on account of the misogynistic stereotypes – Wainwright writes about 'the wild joys of boyhood' and comments: 'I've wondered many a time: have the ladies the same capacity for enthusiasm? … I have not yet witnessed genuine enthusiasm in one of them; often I have seen a pretence of it, but the divine spark was missing.' I may be missing the 'divine spark', but my enthusiasm powered me on over mountains, valleys and considerable obstacles, all the way to the sadly now felled Sycamore Gap tree at Hadrian's Wall. Toxic prejudices still persist about who belongs here and who is capable. My book, titled I Belong Here, is a chronicle of my Pennine journey and also a clarion call for rightful belonging in the face of hostile and persistent exclusion of minorities from societal power structures, and media, and publishing and literary landscapes. Ironically one agent advised me to take out the word 'Pennines', because 'the book won't sell as no one cares about the north'. I was also told that someone like me couldn't be a travel and nature writer – the subtext being that I was not white and/or male so I did not fit with the 'lone enraptured male' profile prevalent in this genre (Wainwright might be turning in his grave to know I was shortlisted for a nature-writing prize named after him. My PE teacher would be surprised too. As we celebrate this great walking path, it's worth remembering how far there still is to go for all to be safe and free and welcome while walking through the world. In England, 92% of the land is not covered by the right to roam, contrasting with Scotland, where the public has access to walk through most of it as long as they do so responsibly. England's land is still entrenched in centuries-old feudal inequality. And as women walking, we face greater levels of harassment outdoors, the vulnerabilities heightened for a woman of colour with risk of racist harassment. Long-distance hiking is a lesson in stoicism in the face of obstacles. It's an apt metaphor for the journey through life – little wonder that the walk has been a literary trope for centuries. But rather than approaching the Way as a competitive sport, I did it my way, as it were; I didn't care about finishing fastest but wanted to savour each step instead. So happy birthday, dear Pennine Way. Five years on from my epic journey, I'm trying to keep walking a hopeful path. I hope if anyone who's reading this today (or in 60 years), feels stuck or lost in life, or crushed by discrimination, that you don't give up, that you keep on going; that you believe you belong here, because you do. I hope you'll keep going for the view along the way as well as from the top of the mountain. Anita Sethi is the author of I Belong Here: A Journey Along the Backbone of Britain and is featured in the new exhibition A Trail of Inspiration: the Pennine Way at 60
BBC News
14-04-2025
- General
- BBC News
Plea to recognise Alfred Wainwright's Blackburn birthplace
The birthplace of fell-walking author and artist Alfred Wainwright should be made a registered building, a council has been with Darwen Council's independent opposition leader Mustafa Desai said the home on Audley Range in Blackburn should be listed as a heritage asset for extra said the writer, who popularised hill walking and wrote several well-known Lake District guidebooks, should be "celebrated as a significant Blackburn figure".The suggestion was made as the authority's executive board debated an update to the register of listed buildings in the borough. Wainwright, a lifelong Blackburn Rovers fan and former Blackburn Borough Council finance officer, died of a heart attack in 1991 aged 84 in Kendal, recently completed the coveted Wainwright Challenge of climbing all 214 peaks listed in the author's Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland told the meeting Wainwright's Blackburn home was a "glaring omission" from the authority's Labour leader Phil Riley said the list of registered buildings was not "set in stone" and could be Desai told the Local Democracy Reporting Service Wainwright "did a lot to promote walking and the outdoors which are important to people's physical and mental health".Twenty-eight new heritage sites have been nominated to join the 24 buildings already listed by the council. These include old mills associated with Blackburn and Darwen's cotton industry history, war memorials and other sites of historical interest. They include the Punch Hotel in Chapels, Darwen, Hoddlesden Tram Shelter and three original stone-built bridges over the Leeds Liverpool Canal in Blackburn. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Lancashire on Sounds and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
