Lakeland’s Waymarker Trees

Bryan Gould has always been captivated by England’s Lake District, where woodlands and valleys rise to exciting summits and endless adventures. Like others, he followed in the footsteps of Alfred ’AW’ Wainwright, taking the paths outlined in his unique seven-book series A Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells.During the 2020 COVID-19 lockdowns, while casually rereading AW’s Book One - The Eastern Fells, Bryan noticed a fascinating detail that became a revelation - a feature that interwove his lifelong involvement in arboriculture with Wainwright’s masterpieces.In almost 100 cases, Wainwright’s fellwalking descriptions designated particular trees, using symbols and text, as natural waymarkers. Careful examination of Wainwright’s accounts reveals several trees defined specifically, though the majority, immersed within the minutia, are unknown and unnamed. Most exist today, even over 50 years after AW first nominated them. They stand as tenacious contributors to the landscape and ecology, indicating the track with certainty. Many are in their prime whilst others are ageing or near to death. All are remarkable. Lakeland’s Waymarker Trees is an invitation, for all those who enjoy Cumbria’s serene scenery, to witness AW’s trees in the present day. Identifying and verifying each waymarker tree with explanations and photographs, it confirms their presence as enduring survivors in Lakeland’s ever-changing environment.