A MAJOR new exhibition celebrating the life and work of legendary Lake District fellwalker and author Alfred Wainwright features a host of artefacts from Cumbria County Council’s Archive Service.

The exhibition, A Love Letter to the Lakeland Fells, which opens at Keswick Museum on Saturday and runs until November 8, promises to be a must-see for fans of Wainwright.

Cumbria Archives has loaned more than 50 items from the Kendal Archive that trace how Wainwright developed as an artist and writer, as well as giving an insight into his professional and personal life.

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Items on display will include early drawings, maps and cartoons by Wainwright, reflecting his early interest in places, football and colleagues, school reports and even interview letters for job applications.

There are also notebooks, photographs and annotated OS maps which underpinned Wainwright’s creation of his Pictorial Guides to the Lake District and a first edition print of the first Pictorial Guide, first published 60 years ago.

Other items which Cumbria Archives have loaned for the exhibition include Wainwright’s rucksack, walking boots, cameras, pencils and pens, glasses and a pipe, which will all be on display at the exhibition.

Cllr Ian Stewart, Cumbria County Council Cabinet member for archives, said: “Wainwright’s very name is synonymous with the Lake District, so we were delighted to be able to loan a wide range of items from our archive. This exhibition is a wonderful opportunity for people to learn more about the great man and his love affair with the Lake District. 

"I'd also like to congratulate Keswick Museum for the imaginative ways in which they are enabling visitors and residents to enjoy and learn more about how Wainwright has helped shape our views of the Lakeland fells.”

Sue Mackay, curator of Keswick Museum, said: “We’re delighted to have the opportunity to work with Kendal Archive Centre. We’ve worked hard to interpret the archives and objects in lots of different ways – for example, the exhibition has drawing and tracing activities, dressing up and kitting out activities for families as well as captioned images and original artefacts.”