Innovative map helps to protect the fells
Peter Burgess has combined a life in London with a love of the Lake District to generate valuable funds for the conservation of upland fell paths.
He’s just handed over a cheque for £5,500 to the Fix the Fells project; money raised from the sale of his innovative map of the Lake District.
One pound is being donated to the project from every sale and demand for the map designed in the style of the London Underground tube map is providing valuable income for project which works to repair and maintain upland paths across the Lake District.
The novel illustration of the fells featuring all 17 of the lakes has become a huge hit. It’s now stocked in retail outlets across the Lake District with plenty of demand coming from further afield. Orders have been arriving from foreign destinations including New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the USA and Europe.
The iconic map of the London Underground, created by Harry Beck in 1931 is recognised across the world. Peter has combined this design with Alfred Wainwright’s guides to create a topological map including 214 fells and other points of interest within the National Park; the colour of the ‘tube’ lines corresponds to the colours used in the seven Pictorial Guides to the Lakeland Fells created by the great walker.
Neil Winder, National Trust Ranger for Langdale said,
“I knew when I saw the map that it was a winner. The copy we have at the National Trust headquarters gets a lot of interest. It’s amazing that such a simple idea is raising so much to protect the areas that it represents. It’s a great combination.”
It’s important to stress that the map should not be used as a navigational aid. Certain points on the map have been manoeuvred to fit in with the ‘tube lines’ design, although it does give a fantastic overview of the area and the fells of the Lake District.
Find out more about the Fix the Fells project at www.fixthefells.co.uk. You can read more about the inspiration behind the map and order a copy at www.tubularfells.com