A Lakeland Sketchbook by Alfred Wainwright, First Edition with Dust Jacket

Alfred Wainwright (1907 to 1991)—British fell walker, guidebook author and illustrator, best known for his seven-volume Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells, the standard reference work to the 214 fells of the English Lake District, which are now known as 'Wainwrights'. He also wrote and illustrated numerous other books on the Lake District, Scotland, Northern England and Wales including two of his other major works, Westmorland Heritage and Wainwright in Lakeland

Westmorland Gazette—(Founded in 1818) A British publisher which publishes the main weekly newspaper for the Lake District, but is probably best known as the publisher of books by Alfred Wainwright. They were the publishers all but one of of Wainwrights books from 1964 (with the publication of The North-Western Fells) to the last Sketchbook (the Peak District Sketchbook, which was the last ever Wainwright book containing new illustrations) in 1984. Wainwright in Lakeland, although originally published by Abott Hall, was printed by The Westmorland Gazette and published by them in a later edition. Walks from Ratty is the only true exception, published by Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway Company. The first printing was printed by the Westmorland Gazette (this later changed to Titus Wilson), but they never actually acted as the publisher. Note on identifying first editions: The Westmorland Gazette had no consistent system for identifying first editions. Most Pictorial Guide Series books have an impression number printed in them if they are later printings, although this practice seems to have been abandoned some time in the 1980s. First editions of other books can only be identified by reference to specific points on a book by book basis, with the published price being a common issue. Lists of other books in print found at the start of many titles were rarely updated after the early to mid 1970s and provide almost no assistance in identifying editions.

Sketchbook Series—The most numerous of Alfred Wainwright's series consisting of landscape format sketchbooks, in a larger size than his earlier Pictorial Guide Series, and containing pen-and-ink drawings with full page drawing on the recto with commentary and a map or outline on the verso. Similar to, but in a slightly smaller format than, the Mountain Drawings Series with generally with slightly more commentary. The series contains 23 books. The first book was originally published in 1969 and the last book was originally published in 1984

The first of a set of five sketchbooks on the Lakeland Fells, containing pen-and-ink drawings by A. Wainwright, which established the sketchbook format of a drawing on the recto with commentary and a map or outline on the verso. Wainwright's first major series of books produced after his Pictorial Guide Series.

There are eighty illustrations: 1—'Bowfell From Lingmoor Fell', 2—'Scafell Pike and Ill Crag From Throstle Garth', 3—'Thirlmere', 4—'Newby Bridge', 5—'Napes Needle, Great Gable', 6—'The Road to Watenlath', 7—'Dora's Field, Rydal', 8—'Dow Crag, Coniston', 9—'The Old Smithy, Kirkstile', 10—'Pike O'Stickle and Loft Crag', 11—'Lingmell and Piers Gill', 12—'The Old Courthouse, Hawkshead', 13—'Pulpit Rock and Scafell Crag', 14—'High Stile, From Buttermere', 15—'The Head of Kentmere', 16—'Aira Force, Ullswater', 17—'Ellerwater', 18—'Memorial Cairn, Birkett Fell', 19—'The Old Parish Church of Bassenthwaite', 20—'Border End, Hard Knot', 21—'The Jaws of Borrowdale', 22—'Scafell Pike, From Lingmell', 23—'High Stile From Gatesgarth', 24—'Langdale Pikes, From Lingmoor Fell', 25—'The Ridge to Whiteside From Hopegill Head', 26—'Harter Fell, Eskdale', 27—'Middlefell Farm, Great Langdale', 28—'Steeple, From Scoat Fell', 29—'Thornthwaite Crag From Cavdale Moor', 30—'ST Johns in the Vale Church', 31—'Stocckley Bridge Borrowdale', 32—'Lowther Castle', 33—'Wastwater Screes', 34—'Roman Villa, Ravenglass', 35—'The Buttermere Valley', 36—'The Scafell Range, From Pillar', 37—'Catbells and Newlands', 38—'Friars Crag, Derwentwater', 39—'The North Western Fells, From Keswick', 40—'Bassenthwiate Lake', 41—'Helvellyn, From Fairfield', 42—'Birks Bridge, Duddon Valley', 43—'The Troutbeck Valley', 44—'High Man, Pillar Rock', 45—'The Summit of Helm Rock', 46—'How Head, Ambleside', 47—'Great Rigg and Fairfield', 48—'Kendal Castle', 49—'The Coniston Fells', 50—'Boardale', 51—'Sinen Gill, Mungrisdale Common', 52—'Gimmer Crag, Great Langdale', 53—'A Grasmere Farm', 54—'Blencathra, From St. John's Vale', 55—'Watendlath', 56—'Bowfell, From Great End', 57—'Grange in Borrowdale', 58—'Yewbarrow', 59—'Nan Sield Pass', 60—'Tarn Hows', 61—'Boot', 62—'Patterdale Church', 63—'Scale Bridge, Buttermere', 64—'The Foot of Wastwater', 65—'Sour Milk Gill, Easedale', 66—'Mirklin Cove, Ennerdale', 67—'The Stonethwaite Valley', 68—'Hopegill Head', 69—'The Bishop of Barf', 70—'Green Crag and Haystacks', 71—'Fairfield and Seat Sandal, Form Steel Fell', 72—'Hill Top Sawrey', 73—'Dove Crag', 74—'Matterdale Church', 75—'The Swirl Forest Trail, Thirlmere', 76—'Shap Abbey', 77—'Slater's Bridge, Little Langdale', 78—'Ullswater From St. Sunday Crag', 79—'The Path to Scafell Pike From Esk House' and 80—'Great Gable From Great End'.