What Are Wainwrights? A Thorough Guide to the Lakeland Fells and the Guides

What are Wainwrights? For many walkers and readers new to the Lake District, the question is more than just a curiosity. It’s the doorway to a legendary system that choreographs some of the most iconic hills in Britain, striking the balance between rugged mountain scenery and detailed, user-friendly guidance. In short, Wainwrights describe both a curated list of 214 Lakeland fells and the beloved seven-volume Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells by Alfred Wainwright. This article unpicks the meaning, history and practical use of what are Wainwrights, and explains why the name continues to hold sway with hikers, photographers and lovers of the English countryside.

Origins of the Term: What Are Wainwrights in Brief

To answer the question what are Wainwrights, you must recognise two closely linked ideas. First, there is the list of 214 fells in the Lake District that Alfred Wainwright documented in his Pictorial Guide series. Second, there is the collection of guidebooks themselves, in which he drew every summit, wrote detailed route descriptions, and produced the iconic pen-and-ink drawings. The term Wainwrights has thus become a convenient shorthand for both the peaks and the literature that celebrate them. In everyday speech, walkers may refer to a “Wainwright” when they mean either a fell included in the list or a route described within the guides. The dual usage is widely understood in the British hillwalking community and remains a central feature of Lakeland exploration.

Alfred Wainwright and the Pictorial Guides: The Heart of What Are Wainwrights

Understanding what are Wainwrights is inseparable from knowing the author behind the project. Alfred Wainwright (1907–1991) set out to produce a definitive, visual companion to the Lakeland hills. He spent years walking, drawing and describing each fell with painstaking precision. His Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells, first published in the 1950s and completed in the 1960s, became a literary and geographical touchstone. The guides are renowned for their clear line drawings, practical ascent notes, and maps that accompany every ascent. They shaped not only how people learned about the fells but also how they approached hiking them—with attention to navigation, safety, and storytelling along the ridge lines.

What are Wainwrights without their distinctive artwork? Each page in the Pictorial Guides features Wainwright’s own drawings of the summit, profile, and approach routes. The style invites readers to imagine the ridges before a boot meets the ground. The combination of hand-drawn visuals and concise, informative prose created a reading experience that was as appealing as the adventure itself. Even decades later, many walkers rely on Wainwright’s sketches and comments when planning a day on the hills, revealing the lasting influence of his approach to what are Wainwrights.

The 214 Wainwrights of the Lake District: What They Are and How They Are Chosen

So, what are Wainwrights in terms of the list itself? The 214 fells are distributed across the Lake District, spanning the valley floors to lofty ridges. They were chosen by Wainwright on the basis of topographic sense, scenery, distinctness of character, and the idea that they represented meaningful summits with a recognisable profile. The list includes some of the highest peaks in England—Scafell Pike, Scafell, Helvellyn—but it also features less towering, yet quintessentially Lakeland highpoints that form stepping stones between valleys and moorland. The idea was to create a walkable, legible set of fells that would guide a walker from village to summit and back, without losing the sense of the landscape’s vastness.

There is nuance within what are Wainwrights: some entries are genuine high summits, while others are “tops” (subsidiary summits or lesser knolls) that Wainwright treated as distinct for navigation and character. The distinction is part of the charm and challenge of bagging Wainwrights. For practitioners, completing the 214 fells means embracing a broad spectrum of ground conditions, from scrambly rock faces to gentle grassy slopes, all linked by time-honoured routes and the occasional long ridgeline crossing.

How People Use the Wainwrights List: Bagging, Tales and Routes

What are Wainwrights for many hikers is a balanced blend of goal-setting, storytelling and landscape appreciation. The “bagging” ethos—completing all the peaks on the list—is popular, though not obligatory. Some walkers pursue a round of Wainwrights, which means undertaking all 214 fells in a single or curtailed sequence across a region over time. Others select individual fells that fit a particular day, a family-friendly afternoon, or a photogenic sunrise sweep. The flexibility of what are Wainwrights is part of their enduring appeal: you can choose a short, panoramic leg over classic ridges or embark on a multi-day expedition linking valleys and summits in a grand traverse.

In practice, planning a walk involving what are Wainwrights involves several elements: studying the ascent notes in the guide, checking OS maps, noting weather windows, and understanding potential escape routes if conditions worsen. The guides were intentionally practical: you’ll find route descriptions, estimated times, and cautions about terrain. Modern readers also supplement Wainwright’s text with contemporary resources, such as online logs, weather apps, and GPS tools. Yet the original spirit remains intact: a respectful, patient engagement with Lakeland terrain, guided by a trusted elder of the hills who knew precisely how to convey a route’s character on a single page.

Notable Peaks and Classic Routes: A Closer Look at What Are Wainwrights

Within the 214 fells, certain summits stand out for their visibility, accessibility or challenge. Here are a few examples that illustrate the range of what are Wainwrights and why walkers keep returning to them:

• Scafell Pike: The highest fell in England at 978 metres. Classic routes include the Corridor Route and the Old Napes route, offering a sense of scale and isolation that epitomises the Lakeland experience.
• Helvellyn: Renowned for Striding Edge and a remarkable panorama from the summit plateaus. Helvellyn’s routes blend exposed scrambling with broad, snowy approaches in winter.
• Skiddaw: One of the northern fells with a gentler ascent from Keswick, offering sweeping views over Derwentwater and the northern fells. It’s a staple for those seeking a high cairn without steeper rock faces.
• Great Gable: A central feature of the Honister area, famed for dramatic walls and ridge routes that reward careful navigation and solid bootwork.
• Scafell and Great End cluster: A region where several Wainwrights sit in close proximity, encouraging day-long circuits with long, rewarding descents.
• Pillar and Grisedale Pike: Examples of mid-height fells that offer classic Lakeland walking without excessive elevation gain, suitable for a family-friendly day or a photographic ascent.

Each of these peaks is a window into the broader tapestry of what are Wainwrights. The layouts, the approaches, and the views from every summit contribute to a cohesive sense of the Lake District as a living, walkable landscape.

Planning a Wainwright-Inspired Adventure: Practical Tips

If you’re new to what are Wainwrights, a thoughtful plan makes all the difference. Start with the essentials:

• Maps and navigation: Use the Ordnance Survey Explorer maps (1:25,000 scale) to follow Wainwright’s routes. A compass or a reliable GPS device complements the sketches and textual directions you’ll find in the guides.
• Weather awareness: The Lake District can change quickly. Check forecasts, be prepared for rain, cold winds, and rapidly changing visibility. Have a plan B and a safety margin for reduced daylight in autumn and winter.
• Footwear and gear: Sturdy boots, layered clothing, and a waterproof layer are standard. Bring a headtorch for shorter daylight periods and a small first-aid kit for remote areas.
• Route selection: Rather than attempting multiple long days on consecutive fells, consider pairing two or three fells in a single excursion. This reduces fatigue and increases the quality of your experience on what are Wainwrights.
• Timing and pace: The charm of mapping out a Wainwright route is not speed. Allow for time to enjoy the views, the textures of the terrain, and, if you’re lucky, the wildlife you encounter along the way.

For many, the “Wainwrights” are a stage for the photographer as well. Early morning light over a ridge, a mist on a lake, or a sunset glow on the limestone edges can transform a simple ascent into a memorable image. If photography is part of your plan, choose fells with attractive vantage points and practice leaving space in the frame for the sky and the landscape. What are Wainwrights becomes a creative project as well as a physical one when you marry the guiding text with your own observations and camera work.

Wainwrights vs. Other Peak Lists: How Do They Compare?

What are Wainwrights in comparison to other hill lists? The Lake District’s Wainwrights are distinct from the “Munros” of Scotland (over 3,000 feet as tall mountains) or the more general UK “tops” classifications. Wainwrights sit within the Lake District’s unique topography and cultural history. While some lists focus on height alone, Wainwrights blend ascent with character, accessibility, and the experiential narrative that Wainwright himself crafted. This blend explains why the list endured beyond his lifetime and continues to be a benchmark for many walkers. For readers considering alternatives, there are other popular hill lists and challenges in the UK, but what are Wainwrights remains, in many people’s view, the most intimate, region-specific way to engage with Lakeland hills.

Some walkers create hybrid goals, combining a Wainwrights circuit with other lists to broaden the experience. You might plan a trip that touches on the 214 fells while also including famed viewpoints or geological features famous in Lakeland literature. The flexibility of what are Wainwrights allows for personal interpretation, making the activity welcoming to novices and satisfying to seasoned hikers alike.

The Lokage of Lakeland: Notable Routes for The Wainwrights Enthusiast

When you think about what are Wainwrights and you want a practical starting point, consider a few classic itineraries that showcase the diversity of the list:

• Keswick to Skiddaw and Blencathra circuit: A northern gentle-to-mid-height traverse offering expansive views and a family-friendly approach to what are Wainwrights.
• Ambleside to Helvellyn via Striding Edge: A well-known route that highlights the drama of Striding Edge and the panoramic payoff at the summit, illustrating the reward of careful navigation in what are Wainwrights.
• Borrowdale–Great Gable–Esk Hause loop: A quintessential Lakes day that concentrates some of the most evocative scenery on the list.
• Coniston Ring: Focused on Pillar, Great Langdale fells and surrounding routes, delivering a robust mix of rock, pasture and dramatic ridge-lines.

These itineraries demonstrate how what are Wainwrights can be layered: you gain physical accomplishment, landscape appreciation, and a continuing curiosity about the next summit.

Wainwrights in the Modern Era: Guides, Apps and the Living List

Even in the digital age, what are Wainwrights remains a living concept. The original seven-volume Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells continues to inspire new editions, reprints and digital formats. Many walkers enjoy combining Wainwright’s exacting notes with modern resources—OS digital maps, hiking apps that track ascent profiles, and community forums where readers swap routes, photographs and advice. The continuity of what are Wainwrights lies in the way the guides invite readers to observe, measure and interpret the landscape. The core idea—explore a system of fells that reflects Lakeland’s character—remains compelling more than half a century after Wainwright’s first drawings appeared on the page.

Wainwrights: Heritage, Craft and the Way People Relate to the Lake District

Beyond the practical pursuit, what are Wainwrights also tells us about how the Lake District is read and cared for. Wainwright’s drawings demonstrate a respect for topography and a belief that every summit has a story. The guides preserve an era of careful map-making and narrative that champions patience, observation and an intimate familiarity with the land. This heritage continues to attract readers who want to learn as they walk, and to walk with an awareness of the landscape’s fragility and beauty. In a world of fast routes and quick experiences, what are Wainwrights offers a slower, more reflective form of enjoyment—one that invites personal interpretation and a sense of place that cannot be hurried.

Frequently Asked Questions About What Are Wainwrights

• What exactly are the Wainwrights? They are a set of 214 Lakeland fells described in Alfred Wainwright’s Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells, along with the guidebooks themselves.
• Why are some summits considered fells rather than mountains? In British usage, “fell” is a term for mountains or high hills, particularly in upland areas of northern England, and Wainwrights captures a representative sample of these in the Lake District.
• Are Wainwrights the same as Munros? No. Munros are Scottish peaks above 3,000 feet, a different list with its own history. Wainwrights are specific to the Lake District and are defined by Wainwright’s selection and descriptions.
• Is completing the 214 Wainwrights a common challenge? Yes. Many walkers aim to complete all 214 as a personal goal, though the list is used more broadly as an inspirational guide to Lakeland exploration.

How to Get the Most from What Are Wainwrights: Final Thoughts

For anyone asking what are Wainwrights, the answer lies in the combination of historic literature and living landscape. The Wainwrights offer a structured way to encounter the Lake District’s character—from high, windswept ridges to sheltered valleys and the lakes that reflect the surrounding hills. The guides encourage you to observe carefully, plan thoughtfully, and savour the moment when a distant peak comes into focus over the shoulder of a misty pass. They are not just a checklist; they are a doorway to experiences that endure in memory long after you’ve descended back to civilisation.

Concluding Reflections on What Are Wainwrights

What are Wainwrights? They are a bridge between a meticulous writer-artist and the wild, unpredictable beauty of the English hills. They are a passport to the Lake District’s varied landscapes, from the broad splendour of Scafell’s approaches to the intimate, grassy slopes of the lesser-known fells. They are a testament to the value of patient observation, precise map-reading and a sense of place. And they remain a guiding light for new generations of walkers who want to experience the Lakeland fells with both curiosity and respect.

In the end, what are Wainwrights if not an invitation? An invitation to explore, to learn, and to be drawn into a landscape that has inspired writers, artists and hikers for decades. The lists, the routes, the drawings and the stories all contribute to a shared heritage. Whether you are chasing the highest summit or chasing the perfect photograph, the Wainwrights offer a wellspring of opportunities—times when you pause on a ridge, listen to the wind, and feel the vast, quiet presence of the Lake District.