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Andy Beck- The Wainwrights in colour.

The sketches shown here are the images that I have so far produced for this "Wainwright". The views are taken from the exact spot where A.W. stood to illustrate his seven pictorial guides. The comparative views are mainly different due to the time of day, weather conditions and seasonal differences. The originals of my sketches are approximately twice as wide and twice as high as A.W's pen and ink drawings. I have added notes to give more information to each sketch.

All images are the copyright of the artist.

To obtain these references has required 4 days of walking:  18/11/08,  16/5/09, 19/5/09, 6/8/09 (click on the dates to see the photos)

Mungrisdale Common                                                     2068'

From Skiddaw. 19/5/09

Mungrisdale Common has a bit of a reputation as an uninteresting fell but AW found eight subjects worthy of illustration within the chapter. On the day I obtained this view from Skiddaw I was fortunate that a passing cloud gave the fell some shape and highlight as it is dominated by Blencathra behind.

Waterfall in Sinen Gill. 18/11/08

A delightful waterfall on the western slopes of the fell. Since my visit some of the gills have been planted up with native trees so perhaps in the future this location will be totally obscured from view.

Cloven Stone. 18/11/08

A curious outcrop of rocks on what is a fairly uninspiring fell.

The Stone Man 18/11/08

The (second) Stone Man. 18/11/08

This cairn, known as a stone man is the one situated west of the summit and near the 2000' contour. It sits neatly on a small platform of rock. Even though it has undergone some rebuilding it has a great deal of weathering on it giving it an undisturbed look.

Granite Slabs, River Caldew. 6/8/09

This is one of those sketches which took a bit of locating after all, the River Caldew follows the northern flanks of the fell. Despite the fact that AW claimed that the Caldew could not be forded I had to do so twice to get this reference.

The Stake. 18/11/08

Actually a boundary stone but still in location. Skiddaw House stands in the copse of trees behind.

The summit. 18/11/08

I have taken the unusual step here of painting the view looking south west. In A.W's day this fell had no summit cairn so it was one or the rare instances where he had no summit sketch for the chapter. Today a small pile of rocks, on this occasion surrounded by a "moat",  marks the summit so I have painted them with the aspect of the distant fells that he drew in his "view" illustration.

more sketches to follow shortly.

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