Andy Beck at work on the fells
An artist’s quest to recreate the sketches of the Lake District’s celebrated chronicler Alfred Wainwright has uncovered the extent of footpath erosion in the area.
Andy Beck has spent three years producing watercolour sketches of the scenes that appear in Wainwright’s seven Pictorial Guides to the Lakeland Fells. A then-and-now comparison of the state of the fells has demonstrated the need for urgent action.
The Barnard Castle-based artist is a keen hillwalker and has agreed to donate part of the profits of his latest exhibition at Rheged near Penrith to the Fix the Fells project.
His modern-day recreations of Wainwright’s sketches were produced from photographs he took from matching locations.
A spokesperson for Fix the Fells said: “Andy wants to raise awareness of the issue of path erosion in the fells, and is adamant that it’s a problem that can’t be ignored.
“As part of his research for the exhibition he visited and photographed each of the locations where Wainwright did his sketches. Comparing the ‘then’ and ‘now’ views has given Andy an insight into the changes to the landscape over the years since Wainwright’s guides were produced.
At the Rheged exhibition: from left, Jenni Allason, Richard Fox, Ruth Kirk, Harmony Smith, Andy Beck, Martin Oxtoby, Dave Emery
“At Rossett Gill Andy noticed a striking difference between Wainwright’s sketch and the view today. This ancient path leading up to Rossett Pike at the head of the Langdale valley was once a busy packhorse route to Wasdale, but had become neglected and was already suffering from erosion in Wainwright’s time.
“Andy singled out the repair work done on this path by Fix the Fells last year for particular praise. Thanks to some stone pitching to create a single clear route and careful seeding and landscaping beside the path, vegetation has now returned and the wide erosion scar has virtually disappeared.”
He was joined at his Wainwrights in Colour exhibition preview by Fix the Fells project manager Richard Fox and volunteers who regularly maintain and repair upland paths.
The exhibition is at the Rheged Discovery Centre until 20 November. Five per cent of profit from sales of the pictures will be split between Fix the Fells and Animal Rescue Cumbria.
