Wainwright's Masterpiece

WESTMORLAND Wainwright’s masterpiece Chris Butterfieldcharts the story of Alfred Wainwright’s 1975 book Westmorland Heritage, which captured a county about to change forever hen are you going to decide strategically stacked to support the sheer “Wwho gets number one? I can’t weight. Andrew was constantly warning even go to the loo without locking the everyone who entered his office not to door.” Andrew Nichol’s frustrations were accidently kick the books; something had obvious to Westmorland Gazette general to be done. manager Harry Firth. No decision had Storage wasn’t the only problem. been made as to who would receive the Signing and numbering the books was very first of the 1,000 freshly bound proving to be a challenge. Wainwright copies of Alfred Wainwright’s new book, had never set foot in the Westmorland Westmorland Heritage. Gazette premises and was unlikely to ever The publisher had no lockup in do so. Taking them to Wainwright wasn’t which to safeguard the books. The only an option either – carting 1,000 books solution was to stack them on the floor of works manager Andrew Nichol’s office. There was a supporting wall below, Above: The view from Orrest Head, an above which the books would have to be illustration from Westmorland Heritage cumbria | july 2019 19 to his home in Kendal Green and back influential in Wainwright compiling the was impractical. After some thought, a Westmorland Heritage book. It was also workaround was found. The individual his idea for Wainwright to create the folded sixteen-page sheets – all 1,000 of magnificent Westmorland Map in 1974: them – were taken to Wainwright, who he wanted the county of Westmorland to signed and numbered them, after which be recorded before it was changed forever they were returned to the Westmorland by local government reorganisation. Gazette, to be bound. The book, one of Wainwright’s A day or two later, much to Andrew’s masterpieces, is a celebration of the relief, it was decided by Wainwright that old Westmorland county, featuring Paul Wilson should receive copy number nearly 2,000-line drawings of buildings, one. Paul Wilson, Lord Lieutenant of landmarks and scenery. Every parish in Westmorland from 1965 to 1974, and the county is meticulously recorded in of Cumbria from 1974 to 1980, was great detail. Shortly after Westmorland The popular edition of Westmorland Heritage, together with the original order form and the printer’s negatives, now held by Chris Butterfield Cumbria’s original review of Westmorland Heritage, from December 1975 One of the most remarkable books pages of drawings with concise notes ever published on the Lakeland scene on each, and goes steadily through has just appeared from a now familiar the county in alphabetical order, from pen, that of A. Wainwright, already Ambleside to Yanwath, covering known for his Lakeland walking views, buildings, historical remains, guides and sketchbooks. Its title is village oddities and everything else Westmorland Heritage, and like all except people. this author’s previous books there is Not only is this a book that will not a single letter of type in it. It is provide continuing pleasure for all all printed from plates taken direct who know Lakeland, but it has an from the author’s own drawings and historical importance as Westmorland lettering. no longer exists as a separate county It is a book of almost 500 large since its incorporation into Cumbria. 20 cumbria | july 2019 Right: author Alfred Wainwright and (far right) Westmorland Gazette works manager Andrew Nichol, who oversaw production of both the original and the popular editions of Westmorland Heritage Heritage’s publication in 1975, sold before they had even been produced; Wainwright wrote to Paul thanking him the remaining books were all sold within for his generous review of the book and two weeks of its publication. To this day for the initial idea. Andrew believes they should have been The remaining books were issued sold for no less than £25. strictly in the order in which they were Twelve years after its publication, sold. The books retailed at £11 and proved many people were still trying, so popular that nearly 400 copies were unsuccessfully, to obtain a copy. In the author’s probably to be own words, it is a handed “dated book” – and down to future that gives it added generations. It importance. Yet it was published will be as a book for the of 500 beautiful author by the drawings, each Westmorland accompanied by a Gazette, touch of nostalgia Kendal for those who know their Lakeland, (limited edition, fully subscribed). which will make this a treasure to H. J. S. (Harry Scott, be enjoyed over and over again and then-managing director) cumbria | july 2019 21 Wainwright had been wrong to doubt its edition but it has been out of print ever potential for success. That demand led since. Andrew to telephone the head office of In 1990, Andrew gathered together the Publishers Association, to seek advice all the original Westmorland Heritage on reprinting the book. Specifically, he printing plates and had them framed. wanted to know whether republication They proved very popular and, even would be in bad faith to those who had today, those featuring Lake District bought the original limited-edition scenes attract high prices. book. He need not have worried. The Thanks to David Rigg, the owner of Publishers Association said publishing Kendal printer Titus Wilson, I recently the book again would affect nothing. Its became custodian of all existing rule was that if ten years or more had Wainwright book printing material, passed since the original publication, and including the original gold blocking for all the books had sold, then everything Westmorland Heritage’s Limited and Popular editions. These fabulous one-of- a-kind blocks are now archived. That hand- Finding the different editions of numbered, first Wainwright’s masterpiece in mint unread condition, proved quite a challenge. It copy was something took me several years to acquire all three. Although satisfied with my finds, more of a holy grail for detective work remained if the story was Wainwright fans” to be completed: that hand-numbered first copy of Westmorland Heritage was something of a holy grail for Wainwright was okay. Wainwright also had to give fans and collectors, and I needed to track permission to reprint the book. Even down. I found it by sheer luck and expect though the Westmorland Gazette held to take custody of it soon. the copyright to his other titles books, Its original owner, Paul Wilson, had Westmorland Heritage, as a limited died in 1980. During his lifetime, Paul edition, wasn’t listed in the original had had a great passion for windmills and copyright agreement. They had long watermills. His close friend, architect since sold out when Wainwright signed John Kenneth Major, was an expert on the copyright over to the Gazette in 1983. such buildings. John was born in Reading In 1988, 3,000 copies of Westmorland but for some years lived in Kendal, where Heritage – popular edition – were printed. he had worked closely with Paul. It sold well, despite it being neither After Paul’s death, the book remained a limited nor leather-bound edition. with his wife. She eventually gave it to Andrew’s good judgement had paid off. John who kept it for many years. Before It would be another sixteen years until his own death in 2009, he sold it to Selby we would see the book in print again. In bookseller Anthony Vickers, which is 2004, Frances Lincoln published a third where I came across it. Book one also 22 cumbria | july 2019 Davies’s Wainwright biography. He has since become a good friend and a great Wainwright related contact. My Facebook group, Alfred Wainwright Books & Memorabilia, is well into its second year. During that time I have been surprised by how many members have asked me if I have spare copies of Westmorland Heritage, as they have been unable to find one. That suggests to me that the book deserves a fourth publication, to came with Wainwright’s original 1975 enable a new generation to appreciate letter to Paul. Together, they are an the genius of Alfred Wainwright. n important piece of Wainwright’s book publishing history. l Tony Greenbank chats with Chris Anthony has specialised in Wain- Butterfield about his Wainwright wright’s publications for the last twenty- obsession in the August edition of five years and was mentioned in Hunter Cumbria, on sale July 25. “I’d like to see the manager but I’ve lost my glasses, so I can’t’ cumbria | july 2019 23.

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