Inspired by nearly 20 years of London life, linked with his own love of the ‘fells’, Peter Burgess, a geographer and teacher, has designed a map of the hills and mountains of the Lake District bearing a striking resemblance to the London Underground map.
Peter has walked the fells of Lakeland for most of his life, is a founder member of the Wainwright Society and 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 said: “I’ve lived in London for nearly 20 years, although like Alfred Wainwright himself, I was born in Blackburn. About 10 years ago I was on the Tube into town and I thought, ‘I could make a Tube map to the fells like that’.
“As a geographer by trade and a keen fellwalker with an appreciation of the work of both Harry Beck and Alfred Wainwright, the idea seemed a good one.
“Unfortunately, I had to wait until a career break gave me the time to concentrate on my idea. Once started, it took a few hundred hours work I guess, as the idea developed and evolved into the final map I have now. So I suppose, 10 years thinking about it and a few weeks at the computer!”
All 17 of the lakes that give the Lake District it’s name are listed on the map. Similar to the London Underground map, there are also connections shown, in this case to ferry services.
The fells are connected by a coloured line and each corresponds to the relevant colour of Wainwright’s pictorial guidelines.
A paper copy of the map is available from the website and also in the famous map shop Stanfords in Longacre, London and a dozen other outlets in Lakeland. The National Trust also sell it at their new shop in Grasmere and the YHA in their 23 Lakeland hostels.
£1 from every sale of the Tubular Fells map goes to ‘Fix the Fells’, who maintain the well trodden footpaths in the Lake District.
Peter said his next project may focus on the Scottish ‘Munros’, although the size and scale of the mountains alone means it will be much more of a challenge than the fells.
