The Tubular Fells Map of the Lake District - 214 Wainwright Summits

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As a child I lived and grew up in the Ribble Valley of Lancashire (Tolkien’s “Shire”), one of the most rural and least densely populated areas of the UK. In matter of fact, I’m not a northerner as the geographical centre of the United Kingdom is just north of Dunsop Bridge a few miles from where I lived. I attended secondary school in the small market town of Clitheroe. I read for my Geography degree in the lovely city of Lancaster and spent one year completing my PGCE training in Liverpool. After these two places, which already seemed large to me, it was logical to move for work to the biggest place in the country beginning with ‘L’. In all honesty I wanted to broaden my horizons and experience. The result is a stylised map, colour-coded in line with Wainwright’s different volumes of his Pictorial Guides to the Lakeland Fells, with each area depicted in its distinctive hue. In addition to the 214 fells listed by Wainwright, the map includes the sections of the Coast to Coast Walk, the Cumbria Way and the very end of the Dales Way that fall into the area covered. Mr Burgess has a degree in geography and teaches the subject in east London. He produced several maps in the past before starting work on the Tubular Fells. “I had to wait until a career break gave me the time to concentrate on my idea,” he said. Do you feel you’ve been able to create a good balance of city life and hiking, or ideally would you want to spend more time in the countryside?

I came down to London to teach for 5 years and ended up staying. I live in East Ham in the London and Olympic Borough of Newham. After nearly 20 years of teaching I now run my own fledgling business designing, publishing and selling my quirky and urban looking topological maps of the mountains. I also carry out freelance assessments in schools. My series of topological maps started two years ago with Tubular Fells which has been a great success. I also sell a Scottish version called MunrOverground. Other maps are in the pipeline (or should that be tube line) with the release of my Snowdonia version this spring. The latest map is titled Snowmotion! I started walking from an early age. My first visit to Lakeland was at eight weeks old, not that I can remember, but my first real Lakeland summit had to be Loughrigg on a trip from primary school at about eight years of age. Volume four of seven, which cover all 214 fells described in the Wainwright Pictorial Guides, which make them the perfect companion to the books.

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A new planning map for the 21st century - designed to show all of the 214 "Wainwright Fells", with their names, as clearly as possible on a high quality topographical base map. The map will also be on sale at points throughout the Lake District including YHA hostels and the new National Trust shop in Grasmere. It will also be available at Stanfords in Longacre, London. In later life, especially at secondary school I began walking with the school’s walking club run by my classics teacher who, has it happens, is also a published author on George Mallory. The enthusiasm of people like that teacher (who I still correspond with) and others around me really got me into fell walking. I used to fellrun at school with Pendle and the nearby Forest of Bowland the constant targets. I have to say we used to run in all weathers through fog, snow and rain, but we loved it. The walking wasn’t mountain spectacular around home, like Lakeland or Scotland, but you can walk for ages and not meet a soul. As I grew older, I took up fellrunning for fun, first starting on the hills around Clitheroe like Pendle. Things have developed from there. I love being out on the fells, whatever the weather, and enjoy nothing better than scrambling. I’ve also recently started canoeing. You just can’t beat being out on the tops after a month or two down in the city of London.”

The Tubular Fells map is not meant to be used to navigate the fells – it’s not to scale and some of the features are out of their actual alignment to fit the design of the map, but for anyone familiar with the Lakeland fells it provides a fascinating view of their relationship to each other. We all complain, but to be honest, there’s not much wrong with the place and I think as a nation we should be proud of what our capital can offer when compared to other cities in the world.After a fantastic day on the fells, there’s nothing better than returning to an iconic Lakeland pub like the Kirkstile for a meal, a few pints of local Mellbreak golden ale and the conversation turned to the days exploits. I think that’s what most people long for! At some point, as already stated, I need to present money to the Fix the Fells project and with the John Muir Trust opening a new shop in Pitlochry, I will be giving the Trust as well as Scottish MRT some cash as 75 pence goes to each charity from the sale of every MunrOverground. If I get to Lakeland I will undoubtedly go scrambling and walking on the fells and a visit to Pitlochry gives me a fabulous chance to get on the hills above Blair Atholl. After 20 years of hard work, I feel like it’s about time to move away from the city. As much as I love London with all it has to offer both in terms of leisure and the cultural opportunities I couldn’t imagine living where I do in 20 years time. I feel my area is for young people as it’s now so transient in terms of its migrant population and that does bring related problems. A big issue on my street is the increase in rented properties where absentee landlords often break the law with illegal conversions and an increase in multi-occupancy. Sadly, the turnover of population moving in and out means it’s very difficult to maintain a status quo such as explaining how to use the recycle bins and simple things like the look of properties through well maintained gardens. Money seeking private landlords have a lot to answer for in my eyes.