The Wainwrights.
The 214 fells described in Alfred Wainwright's seven Pictorial Guides, hand-written and hand-drawn between 1955 and 1966 — far more than a list. Each book is a work of art, every page individually penned, with meticulous route diagrams, ridge drawings and summit panoramas. Wainwright divided the District into seven natural regions — the Eastern, Far Eastern, Central, Southern, Northern, North Western and Western Fells — and gave each its own volume. His choice of 214 “separate fells” has become the definitive Lakeland round, and “doing the Wainwrights” is now one of the most popular long-term challenges in British hillwalking: many walkers take years over it, logging their completion with the Wainwright Society. The guides remain in print, carefully revised, and still lead walkers up the same paths more than half a century on. If you want all 214 on paper, print the free tick-list — three A4 pages, and nothing on it depends on colour.
Alfred Wainwright (1907–1991) was a borough treasurer in Kendal who fell for the fells on a first visit in 1930. He drew and wrote the Pictorial Guides alone at his desk, evening after evening for thirteen years, never expecting them to sell. They made him the most famous fellwalker in Britain — a fame he regarded with gruff suspicion — and much of the royalties went to animal welfare.
Wainwrights map
Every summit on this list plotted from its recorded position. Click a marker to open that fell’s guide — the map follows the search and filters below, and ticked tops show in the accent colour.
Browse all 214 Wainwrights
Search by name, filter by height band, and tick off the tops as you bag them. Progress is saved on this device.
This page lists the 214 fells on this list that have a guide on the site. New to the lists? See how the fell lists differ.
Common questions
How many Wainwrights are there?
Which is the highest?
Who created the Wainwrights?
How many Wainwrights…?
How many Wainwrights are there?
There are 214 Wainwrights — the fells described in Alfred Wainwright’s seven Pictorial Guides to the Lakeland Fells. They range from 290 m to 978 m.
How many Wainwright books are there?
Seven. The Pictorial Guides to the Lakeland Fells were published one at a time between 1955 and 1966, each covering a region — the Eastern, Far Eastern, Central, Southern, Northern, North Western and Western Fells. The Outlying Fells of Lakeland (1974) is a separate companion volume and its hills are not counted among the 214.
How many Wainwrights are on the Kentmere Horseshoe?
8. Our Kentmere Horseshoe route crosses 8 Wainwrights on our mapped line (not one Lee has walked in full): Yoke, Ill Bell, Froswick, Thornthwaite Crag, Mardale Ill Bell, Harter Fell (Mardale), Kentmere Pike, Shipman Knotts.
How many Wainwrights are on the Fairfield Horseshoe?
8. Our Fairfield Horseshoe route crosses 8 Wainwrights on our walked line: Nab Scar, Heron Pike (Rydal), Great Rigg, Fairfield, Hart Crag, Dove Crag, High Pike (Scandale), Low Pike. Counts differ between lines — our Long Hike to Fairfield from Ambleside takes in 7. Guidebook totals vary for the same reason: it depends which tops your route crosses.
How many Wainwrights are on the Langdale Pikes?
7. Our Langdale Pikes Round route crosses 7 Wainwrights on our walked line: Sergeant Man, High Raise (High White Stones), Thunacar Knott, Pavey Ark, Harrison Stickle, Pike of Stickle, Loft Crag. Counts differ between lines — our Langdale Horseshoe takes in 9. Guidebook totals vary for the same reason: it depends which tops your route crosses.
How many Wainwrights are on the Coledale Round?
6. Our Coledale Round route crosses 6 Wainwrights on our walked line: Grisedale Pike, Hopegill Head, Crag Hill (Eel Crag), Sail, Outerside, Barrow.
How many Wainwrights are on the Mardale Horseshoe?
6. Our Mardale Horseshoe route crosses 6 Wainwrights on our mapped line (not one Lee has walked in full): Kidsty Pike, Rampsgill Head, The Knott (High Street), High Street, Mardale Ill Bell, Harter Fell (Mardale). Counts differ between lines — our Mardale circuit takes in 5. Guidebook totals vary for the same reason: it depends which tops your route crosses.
How many Wainwrights are on the Coniston Horseshoe?
7. Our Coniston Horseshoe route crosses 7 Wainwrights on our mapped line (not one Lee has walked in full): Wetherlam, Swirl How, Great Carrs, Grey Friar, Brim Fell, The Old Man of Coniston (Coniston Old Man), Dow Crag. Counts differ between lines — our Coniston Old Man Round takes in 6. Guidebook totals vary for the same reason: it depends which tops your route crosses.
How many Wainwrights are Marilyns or Nuttalls?
As our list data classifies them, 39 of the 214 Wainwrights are also Marilyns (a relative height of at least 150 m) and 113 are Nuttalls (2,000 ft with a 15 m drop). Classifications are from the Database of British and Irish Hills.
How many walks does it take to complete the Wainwrights?
There is no fixed number — it depends entirely on how many summits you link in a day. The round is famously packaged as 36 walks, but most people take a good deal more than that, spread over years. On a typical day out walkers bag anywhere from one to half a dozen.
How many people have completed the Wainwrights?
Nobody knows, and no official total exists. The Wainwright Society keeps a register of completions, but registering is voluntary — so the register is a record of the people who chose to tell someone, not a count of everyone who has finished.