The New Map of the Lakes
Inspired by nearly 20 years of London life, linked with his own love of the fells, Peter Burgess geographer and teacher, has now created a topological map of Alfred Wainwright’s 214 fells, akin to the London Underground map devised by engineering draughtsman, Harry Beck in 1931. Peter is also the founder of the Online Fellwalking Club, an Internet based walking group set up during the Foot & Mouth crisis of 2001. He has walked the fells of Lakeland for most of his life, is a founder member of the Wainwright Society.
For those new to the map, after an initial curiosity, it soon becomes apparent as to the subject matter portrayed. Each ‘Wainwright’ fell is clearly labelled in black with its name and the colour of the ‘tube’ lines corresponds to the colours used in the seven ‘Pictorial Guides to the Lakeland Fells’. The map is not intended to be a navigational aid, far from it, but a novelty piece of graphic artwork uniquely illustrating the English Lake District and its famous fells or mountains. Peter is sure that his creation, suitably entitled ‘Tubular Fells’, will be a great talking point and willing addition to the fellwalking enthusiast’s home.
To get a taste of ‘Tubular Fells’ and to see some of Peter’s own inspiration, then you’d do no better than to watch the 2 minutes of images and video accessible via the link below, before going on to read about the story of ‘Tubular Fells’ on the rest of the website
Examining the underground maps in tube carriages on hundreds of journeys into London down the years, Peter realised he could manipulate a topological map to emulate the characteristics of a transport map featuring Lakeland’s fells. Of course, the map is not intended nor is it designed for navigation. At the very least Tubular Fells is an aid memoir for the 214 fells that Alfred Wainwright arbitrarily identified and described in his now celebrated pictorial guides. Like Harry Beck’s creation from 1931, AW’s graphical works featuring the Lake District landscape are instantly recognisable. The two men should be remembered for what they were, the creators of some of the 20th centuries most iconic cartographic and graphic art.
Beyond the fells, 17 valley lakes are included on ‘Tubular Fells’ which of course gives the Lake District its name, as well as labels identifying other locations that neatly complete the map for the purposes of interest and design. Along with special symbols for boat services; the map also incorporates the Cumbria Way, Dales Way and Coast to Coast walk as well as the wheelchair access route ascending Latrigg, just as is depicted on many stations on the London tube. As it was appropriate and room allowed, the famous Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway has been included – one real railway line in an otherwise fictitious world of transport routes
