The best NOT Wainwrights

Alfred Wainwright’s pictorial guides to the Lake District’s fells are world-renowned.

From the soaring heights and drama of Scafell Pike and neighbouring Sca Fell, to the diminutive Castle Crag and Holme Fell, Wainwright’s selection of 214 fells lays out a challenge to the motivated and a purpose for the rest. They are the basis for many fell running and walking challenges, including the Bob Graham Round, Steve Parr Round and the 214 Wainwright challenge itself (the record currently held by John Kelly at 5 days, 12 hours and 14 minutes!).

The 214 peaks are a selection of Wainwright’s beloved fells which he visited on his regular Saturday and Sunday sojourns whilst working as a treasurer in Kendal. Unlike the unequivocal (sort of) 3000-foot benchmark laid for the Munros of Scotland, the Wainwrights are of varying heights and degrees of drama. For instance, no one could argue the likes of Kirk Fell, Helvellyn, St Sunday Crag and Bowfell deserve to be included in the illustrious list. However, questions could be raised over the merits of the nondescript bog of High Tove, the illusive Blea Rigg, and, of course, the beloved Barf.

Meanwhile, several picturesque and pleasant fells were eschewed, although some did end up in his lesser known work The Outlying Fells of Lakeland. Here I would like to draw some attention to those fells which never reached the Premier League of Lake District fells – the NOT Wainwright Wainwrights, as it were. Here are my five for starters – do you have some other favourites?

1. Gummers How, Newby Bridge

Standing proudly above Windermere, Gummers How is probably one of the best know and best loved not Wainwright Wainwrights. With panoramic views and a distinguishable summit clear of the trees, it is no surprise Gummers How has become a popular destination with a lot of Lake District visitors.

This 321m peak is also surrounded by some pleasant woodland and forestry trails, making it an enjoyable day out besides the summit itself.

It did actually feature in Wainwright’s The Outlying Fells of Lakeland book, where he described it was an old man’s hill, “and when ancient legs can no longer climb it know ye that the sad day has come to hung up the boots for ever and take to slippers”.

Not Wainwright Wainwright Rating: 3/5

2. Brunt Knott, Staveley

When I first starting my own sojourning around the Lake District, Brunt Knott was one of the fells my then-girlfriend-now-wife took me up fairly frequently. Starting from the village of Staveley right on the edge of the Lake District National Park, you follow footpaths through pleasant fields and woods before shooting straight up the nose of its grassy slopes to the lone summit and its trig point.

At sunrise, there are few places better to be, with expansive views to the Dales and Morecambe Bay, and then into the Lakes with the sun-kissed peaks of the Langdales and Coniston on the horizon. It really is a magical top, with the added bonus of a dip in Gurnal Dubs reservoir if you take the long route back via Potter Fell.

Not Wainwright Wainwright Rating: 5/5

3. Rowling End, Keswick

Rowling End juts out from its towering neighbour, Causey Pike, into the space about Little Town. While Wainwright liked to include seemingly unremarkable promontories such as High Hartsop Dodd in his pictorial guides, Rowling End was overlooked in the final list of 214.

Whenever I run over Causey Pike and descend its eastern flank, I feel this yearning to finish the descent off by touching the top of Rowling End, in the same way you just have to say “big stretch” when your dog stretches out. Not doing so is like watching a line of dominoes fall over and the last one stays standing. It’s an itch that must be scratched.

Similar to the previous two, it offers excellent views towards Keswick and the Skiddaw massif, as well as peering into the Newlands Valley and accompanying fells of Robinson and Hindscarth.

Not Wainwright Wainwright Rating: 3/5

4. White Maiden, Coniston

White Maiden is a pleasantly named fell at the very edge of the Coniston Fells. Rather like Rowling End, it lies as a soft end point to the rolling ridge and ferocity of the cracked and brooding Coniston Fells. I often wonder whether the Old Man of Coniston and the White Maiden were ever acquainted – perhaps someone knows of such a tale?

White Maiden is easily accessible for anyone scaling Walna Scar – it even features a small cairn on its 608m top. Just like its neighbours, the views over Coniston Water are a treasure, as well as its excellent vantage towards the Old Man and his pals.

Not Wainwright Wainwright Rating: 4/5

5. Black Combe, Millom

I have not climbed Black Combe myself, but interestingly it did feature as a chapter in itself in Alfred Wainwright’s The Outlying Fells of Lakeland. It was also featured in the words of Wordsworth, who exclaimed it had “the amplest range of unobstructed prospect may seen that British ground command”.

Rising prominently to 600m, it stands alone in the SW Lakes and looms above Millom and the coast line. Its long grassy slopes have also given rise to a tradition in the Black Combe fell race of timing the final descent, the fastest completing it in a little over nine minutes!

Black Combe certainly should be on anyone’s list looking for a different angle to the usual 214 Wainwright fells.

Not Wainwright Wainwright Rating: 5/5

Over to you!

What are some of your favourite fells that are not featured in Wainwright’s pictorial guides? Do you have some that need a bit of a shoutout? Leave a comment below!

For those interested in finding more, The Outlying Fells of Lakeland is a great place to start. Here is a pleasant overview of it.