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Wainwright's Highs and Lows Trivia Quiz

Alfred Wainwright wrote the definitive guide books to the mountains (fells) of the English Lake District. Over the seven volumes of his "Pictorial Guides" he hand drew the maps and wrote detailed descriptions for 214 separate hills.

A multiple-choice quiz by colpeakbagger. Estimated time: 5 mins.

Author
colpeakbagger

Time
5 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
337,159

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
20

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
14 / 20

Plays
293

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 20

1. Alfred Wainwright was born in which Lancashire mill town? Hint

Bacup

Darwen

Blackburn

Colne

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Question 2 of 20

2. At the age of 23 Wainwright took his first holiday to the Lake District. The first hill that he climbed does not make it into the 214 official Wainwrights. Which was it? Hint

Black Combe

Gummer's How

Brunt Knott

Orrest Head

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Question 3 of 20

3. Wainwright started writing his first volume on the 9th November 1952. How many years would it take him to finish all seven volumes? Hint

10 years

21 years

4 years

13 years

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Question 4 of 20

4. How is Alfred Wainwright known to his readers and fans? Hint

The Master

Al Wainwright

Fred Wainwright

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Question 5 of 20

5. Alfred Wainwright was married twice, his first wife was Ruth. What was the name of his second wife? Hint

Betty

Joy

Helen

Rachel

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Question 6 of 20

6. Wainwright's first volume was "The Eastern Fells". What is the highest summit listed in that book? Hint

Catstycam

Dollywagon Pike

Hartsop Dodd

Helvellyn

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Question 7 of 20

7. The lowest of all the Wainwright fells at just 978 feet is which hill? Hint

Latrigg

Little Mell Fell

Walla Crag

Castle Crag

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Question 8 of 20

8. Which of these is not a real name of a Wainwright fell? Hint

Binsey

Great Cockup

Barf

Stumpy

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Question 9 of 20

9. Rannerdale Knotts and Mellbreak are next to which lake? Hint

Buttermere

Crummock Water

Bassenthwaite

Derwent Water

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Question 10 of 20

10. Harrison Stickle, Pike O'Stickle, Loft Crag and Pavey Ark are collectively known as what? Hint

The Langdale Pikes

The Langdale Crags

The Langdale Stickles

The Langdale Arks

11. Many fells are linked by ridges meaning you can walk at high level from one to another. If you were to walk the ridge from Catbells to High Spy which other summit would you climb en route? Hint

Skiddaw

Yewbarrow

High Raise

Maiden Moor

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Question 12 of 20

12. The Lake District National Park logo shows a silhouette of which mountain? It is the seventh highest mountain in England and the highest in the "Western Fells" volume. Hint

Great Gable

Helvellyn

Skiddaw

Scafell Pike

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Question 13 of 20

13. Talking of memorials, a Canadian Air Force Halifax crashed in 1944 on which fell? Hint

Blencathra

Coniston Old Man

Great Carrs

Ullock Pike

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Question 14 of 20

14. Which is the highest of the 214 Wainwrights (also the highest mountain in England)? Hint

Scafell

Great End

Great Sca Fell

Scafell Pike

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Question 15 of 20

15. Although all the Wainwright peaks are now in the county of Cumbria at the time of writing the area was covered by three different counties. Coniston Old Man was the highest point in which county? Hint

Yorkshire

Cumberland

Lancashire

Westmorland

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Question 16 of 20

16. Which mountain has an alternative name, listed on the ordnance survey maps, of Saddleback; a name that Wainwright took a real dislike to? Hint

Skiddaw

Blencathra

Helvellyn

Glaramara

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Question 17 of 20

17. At the end of book seven Wainwright listed his "finest half dozen" fells. Which of these was NOT on the list? Hint

Helvellyn

Crinkle Crags

Great Gable

Pillar

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Question 18 of 20

18. Who presented the Wainwright Walks on BBC TV? Hint

Julia Bradbury

Claire Balding

Stuart Maconie

Matt Baker

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Question 19 of 20

19. In 2005 it was finally decided that the seven volumes were in need of checking and revising. Who was given the task of carrying out this task? Hint

Eric Robson

Chris Jesty

Julia Bradbury

John Gillham

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Question 20 of 20

20. Alfred Wainwright died on 20th January 1991. His ashes were scattered by his widow near Innominate Tarn near the summit of which fell as requested in volume seven? Hint

Haystacks

Skiddaw

Scafell Pike

Pike O'Stickle

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Alfred Wainwright was born in which Lancashire mill town?

Answer: Blackburn

He was born 17th January 1907 into a poor stonemason's family. He did very well at school, leaving at the age of 13.

2. At the age of 23 Wainwright took his first holiday to the Lake District. The first hill that he climbed does not make it into the 214 official Wainwrights. Which was it?

Answer: Orrest Head

According to Wainwright his first view of the Lakeland Fells was from the top of Orrest Head and he was immediately in love. Although Orrest Head, and the other fells, mentioned are not included in the 214 Wainwrights they are all in a later volume called the "Outlying Fells of Lakeland".

3. Wainwright started writing his first volume on the 9th November 1952. How many years would it take him to finish all seven volumes?

Answer: 13 years

Wainwright managed to research and write all seven of his "Pictoral Guides" in his spare time whilst working as the borough treasurer in Kendal, Westmorland.

4. How is Alfred Wainwright known to his readers and fans?

Answer: AW

Wainwright frequently signed himself off as simply AW in his handwritten notes at the end of each volume. The initials stuck and now that is how Wainwright's readers usually refer to him.

5. Alfred Wainwright was married twice, his first wife was Ruth. What was the name of his second wife?

Answer: Betty

Wainwright's marriage to Ruth was not a happy one. They appeared to have lived almost separate lives within the same house. She eventually walked out on him three weeks before he retired. Betty on the other hand was his true love and one of the few people mentioned in his books.

6. Wainwright's first volume was "The Eastern Fells". What is the highest summit listed in that book?

Answer: Helvellyn

At 3,117 feet Helvellyn is the third highest mountain in England.

7. The lowest of all the Wainwright fells at just 978 feet is which hill?

Answer: Castle Crag

Castle Crag appears in volume six, "The North Western Fells". It is the only summit less than 1000 feet and a cave on its flanks was once home to self styled "Professor of Adventure" Millican Dalton from the 1920s until his death in 1947.

8. Which of these is not a real name of a Wainwright fell?

Answer: Stumpy

Lakeland is well known for some peculiar dialect words and names many of which come from the Scandinavian influence of the vikings. Some such as Helvellyn, Glaramara and Blencathra are very poetic sounding, others such as Barf are not.

9. Rannerdale Knotts and Mellbreak are next to which lake?

Answer: Crummock Water

Legend says that the valley of Rannerdale is the site of a battle between local soldiery and a Norman army in the 11th century. The Normans were lured into an ambush in the valley and routed. The valley is now filled with bluebells said to represent the fallen soldiers.

10. Harrison Stickle, Pike O'Stickle, Loft Crag and Pavey Ark are collectively known as what?

Answer: The Langdale Pikes

Some of the most famous mountains in England (but by no means the tallest) their profiles are immediately recognised by any experienced fell walker.

11. Many fells are linked by ridges meaning you can walk at high level from one to another. If you were to walk the ridge from Catbells to High Spy which other summit would you climb en route?

Answer: Maiden Moor

Ridge walks are great ways of "bagging" several summits in one go. Indeed by walking a ridge to the head of a valley then back down the ridge on the other side you can climb five, six or seven summits in one "fell" (pun intended) swoop.

12. The Lake District National Park logo shows a silhouette of which mountain? It is the seventh highest mountain in England and the highest in the "Western Fells" volume.

Answer: Great Gable

Although not the highest, Great Gable is considered many people's favourite mountain due to its rugged crags and amazing views. It has a war memorial on its summit dedcated to all the members of the Fell and Rock Climbing Club who died in the Great War.

13. Talking of memorials, a Canadian Air Force Halifax crashed in 1944 on which fell?

Answer: Great Carrs

The wreckage, most of which is still scattered across the hillside, has been turned into a memorial - it is a very sad and moving place and a fitting way for the eight young Canadians who died to be remembered.

14. Which is the highest of the 214 Wainwrights (also the highest mountain in England)?

Answer: Scafell Pike

3,209 feet above sea level is as high as it gets in England. This is not much by world standards or even within the British Isles as a whole where Ben Nevis is another 1,200 feet higher still.

Answer: Lancashire

Cumbria came into existence in 1974 when a lot counties were merged, created or disbanded completely. At the top of the Wrynose Pass is a stone marking the place where Cumberland, Westmorland and Lancashire all met.

16. Which mountain has an alternative name, listed on the ordnance survey maps, of Saddleback; a name that Wainwright took a real dislike to?

Answer: Blencathra

Wainwright wondered why anyone would use such a name when the name Blencathra was so beautiful?

17. At the end of book seven Wainwright listed his "finest half dozen" fells. Which of these was NOT on the list?

Answer: Helvellyn

Wainwright tried to avoid giving a list of his favourites until the publication of the very last volume. Even then he was often quoted as giving some of the other contenders and chose yet another as his final resting place.

18. Who presented the Wainwright Walks on BBC TV?

Answer: Julia Bradbury

Julia Bradbury presented two series of the show as well as tackling Wainwrights Coast to Coast walk for TV.

19. In 2005 it was finally decided that the seven volumes were in need of checking and revising. Who was given the task of carrying out this task?

Answer: Chris Jesty

And what a fine job he did of them! Although the original 50 or so year old versions had stood up very well the revised editions now show things that were not really an issue when first written such as car parks.

20. Alfred Wainwright died on 20th January 1991. His ashes were scattered by his widow near Innominate Tarn near the summit of which fell as requested in volume seven?

Answer: Haystacks

"And if you dear reader, should get a bit of grit in your boot as you are crossing Haystacks in the years to come, please treat it with respect. It might be me..." AW

Source: Author colpeakbagger

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor LadyCaitriona before going online.
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