Wainwright Society members celebrate on the summit of Dove Crag. Photo: Ian Nelson

Members of the Wainwright Society celebrated its 20th anniversary with an ascent of the first Lakeland fell described by the late author whose works they promote.

Aficionados walked the route from Ambleside to the summit of Dove Crag, following in the footsteps of Alfred Wainwright.

The society, which aims to keep alive the memory of Wainwright, was formed at Ambleside Youth Hostel in 2002. The membership organisation is run by volunteers and relies on subscriptions to continue its work.

A society spokesperson said: “That the Society has survived and prospered over that time is, of course, testament to AW’s enduring popularity.”

The ascent of Dove Crag by the renowned artist and writer marked the beginning of his work on the series of Pictorial Guides to the Lakeland Fells.

Following the hike up Dove Crag, Wainwright Society members gathered at Ambleside Parish Centre, with 70 people joining the events to celebrate its anniversary.

The society’s president Jane King and chairman Eric Robson spoke at the gathering, along with past secretary Derek Cockell and John Bewick, former development officer.

Jane King and Annie Sellar, daughters of Wainwright’s second wife Betty, cut a cake celebrating the anniversary.

David Johnson introduced a short film, courtesy of the Snape family, which has never been shown in public before. The film comprised clips from home movies, taken in the 1930s and 40s, that showed the author, in his 30s at the time, with family members at leisure at locations in the North of England, though hillwalking did not feature.

Eric Robson said: “Alfred Wainwright is best known for his Pictorial Guides to the Lakeland Fells, a series of seven volumes describing the natural features, routes of ascent and descent and the view from the summits of 214 Lakeland fells.

“These handwritten and hand-drawn works of art have given inspiration to thousands of fellwalkers and armchair ramblers. He described these books as a ‘love letter’ to the Lakeland fells.

“Of climbing Orrest Head at the age of 23, Wainwright wrote: ‘Orrest Head cast a spell that changed my life’. It was the view from the top that proved to be the turning point.

“During the 1940s, Wainwright explored the hills and mountains. On 9 November 1952, he began work on his pictorial guides, an idea that had been slowly germinating for many years. The first page completed on that evening was the ascent of Dove Crag from Ambleside.

“The Wainwright Society was established 50 years later on 9 November 2002 to keep alive the memory of AW and his desire to encourage more people to walk upon and care for the hills. We didn’t know at the time whether the society would survive for five, 10 or even 15 years. But thanks to Alfred Wainwright’s enduring popularity as a guidebook writer and master fellwalker the society is still here and thriving.”

Alfred Wainwright, who was born in 1907, died in 1991, after many years living in Kendal.

More details of the Wainwright Society can be seen on the organisation’s website.