Alfred Wainwright at work. Photo: Cumbria Archive Centre, Kendal

A new exhibition will examine author Alfred Wainwright’s love affair with the Lake District.

Wainwright, the author of the celebrated Pictorial Guides to the Lakeland Fells, called his first volume a ‘love letter’ to the Cumbrian mountains.

The Keswick exhibition will use material from the Kendal Archive Centre which recently acquired a large archive of his material as part of a Heritage Lottery Funded project. The exhibition will feature original drawings, letters and manuscripts from this collection.

Organisers hope the exhibition will prompt other Lakeland fans to examine their own reasons for loving the area.

Wainwright: a Love Letter to the Lakeland Fells will be staged at Keswick Museum and Art Gallery in the town’s Fitz Park from May to November, coinciding with the 60th anniversary of the first book in Wainwright’s series.

Visitors will be able to explore the taciturn writer’s life through film, archives and some of his possessions.

There will also be a chance to take a virtual flight round all 214 Wainwright fells in 10 minutes in a mini cinema and experience an interactive Wainwright map.

Julia Bradbury followed Wainwrights' routes in her TV series

Julia Bradbury, who presented the television series Wainwright’s Walks, following some of his routes up Lake District mountains, said: “My enthusiasm for Wainwright’s work and my love for the Lakeland fells is brilliantly celebrated in this exhibition. Go see it, and be inspired.”

The Wainwright Society, which is dedicated to studying and promoting his works, is supporting the exhibition and helping to gather information. Chairman, Eric Robson, who worked with the Kendal-based guidebook author on a series of television programmes, said: “Wainwright’s work changed the lives of tens of thousands of people.

“I’m delighted to see his achievements celebrated and I’m pleased to be associated with this fine new exhibition at Keswick.”

The exhibition will run from 23 May to 8 November at the museum in Station Road, Keswick.