Women’s Walks to Remember: ‘With memory was I there’
Women’s Walks to Remember: ‘With memory I was there’ is a ‘surrogate’ walking-art project specific to the Lake District that re-walks significant walks of those who are no longer able to walk them. The walk might have been for work, leisure, adventure, health, remembrance, creativity, science, companionship or solitude. The reason that the walk can no longer be done might be due to the effects of ageing, illness, accident or circumstance.
Women’s Walks to Remember invites participants to share memories, objects, photos, sight and sounds associated with a landscape that holds deep significance and to draw a memory-map of that landscape. I then use these maps to re-walk the remembered walk as a surrogate walker and gathered ‘treasures’ – drawing, maps, words, and photos – which I share with each of the women in the form of a bespoke story board booklet that captured the remembered walk.
Eventually, these 'walks to remember' will become a printed collection that others can follow outside in the landscape or inside in the imagination.
Women’s Walks to Remember: 'With Memory I was there' was inspired by Dorothy Wordsworth’s Rydal Journals in which she describes “rural sights and sounds” in vivid detail and recollects the landscape and walks she was no longer able to do.
Created, Designed and Written by Louise Ann Wilson.
Walks Remembered by Linda Broughton, Margaret Crayston, Jill Peel, The Tuesday Walkers (led by Sue Falkner), Wallace Heim, Harriet Fraser, Joanna McLaren and Harold Potter (who inspired this project).
Produced by Louise Ann Wilson Company Limited.
Funded by The Wordsworth Trust, Faculty of Arts and Social Science (Diversifying Wordsworth Project) Arts Strategy Fund and FASS Impact Grant from Lancaster University, Lancaster Arts at Lancaster University, wilson+wilson, Women’s Studies and Sociology, Lancaster University, EASST.
CALL-OUT FOR PARTICIPANTS
CALL-OUT FOR PARTICIPANTS
Do you have a significant walk that you are no longer able to manage but remember vividly or long to do?
Do you know someone who has talked about a walk in this way?
If so, I would love to hear from you because I am continuing to collect walks that celebrate the walking-lives of Lake District women.
Your walk might have been for work, leisure, adventure, health, remembrance, creativity, science, companionship or solitude. The reason that the walk can no longer be might be due to the effects of ageing, illness, accident or circumstance.
If you share your walk, I will re-walk it bringing 'treasures' – sights, sounds, words and objects – back to you.
Collected walks and materials gathered will contribute to an exhibition and a collection of guides.
For more information and to get involved please email: louise@louiseannwilson.com
Do you have a significant walk that you are no longer able to manage but remember vividly or long to do?
Do you know someone who has talked about a walk in this way?
If so, I would love to hear from you because I am continuing to collect walks that celebrate the walking-lives of Lake District women.
Your walk might have been for work, leisure, adventure, health, remembrance, creativity, science, companionship or solitude. The reason that the walk can no longer be might be due to the effects of ageing, illness, accident or circumstance.
If you share your walk, I will re-walk it bringing 'treasures' – sights, sounds, words and objects – back to you.
Collected walks and materials gathered will contribute to an exhibition and a collection of guides.
For more information and to get involved please email: louise@louiseannwilson.com
Walks to Remember
Women’s Walks to Remember: 'With memory I was there'
Women’s Walks to Remember invites participants to share memories, objects, photos, sight and sounds associated with a landscape that holds deep significance and to draw a memory-map of that landscape. I then use these maps to re-walk their landscape – as a surrogate walker – and afterwards distil all the materials gathered into a bespoke multi-layered image that ‘captures’ the remembered walk in drawing, maps, words, and photos. Eventually, these 'walks to remember' will become a printed collection that others can follow outside in the landscape or inside in the imagination – a series of prototypes are on show here.
Women’s Walks to Remember: 'With memory I was there'
Women’s Walks to Remember invites participants to share memories, objects, photos, sight and sounds associated with a landscape that holds deep significance and to draw a memory-map of that landscape. I then use these maps to re-walk their landscape – as a surrogate walker – and afterwards distil all the materials gathered into a bespoke multi-layered image that ‘captures’ the remembered walk in drawing, maps, words, and photos. Eventually, these 'walks to remember' will become a printed collection that others can follow outside in the landscape or inside in the imagination – a series of prototypes are on show here.
Margaret Crayston's Upper Eskside Walk: 'As a Child, I walked this valley everyday'
Margaret Crayston's Upper Eskside Walk: 'As a Child, I walked this valley everyday'
Starting at Brotherilkeld Farm take the public footpath alongside the River Esk. Meander as far as you like – you have great views of tfells ahead and the river turns and has many deep and beautiful pools. Head through fields, to the gate at the end of them, known as ‘the Fell gate'.
Starting at Brotherilkeld Farm take the public footpath alongside the River Esk. Meander as far as you like – you have great views of tfells ahead and the river turns and has many deep and beautiful pools. Head through fields, to the gate at the end of them, known as ‘the Fell gate'.
Prototype guide book images created by Louise Ann Wilson
Prototype guide book images created by Louise Ann Wilson
Jill Peel's Black Coombe Circuit Walk: 'I envy you going for a walk'
It begins here in my house, Greenrigg (Silecroft) and ends here. Usually in the bath. It was my ‘daily walk’ I did it often. No not every day but whenever there is an opportunity.
Jill Peel's Black Coombe Circuit Walk: 'I envy you going for a walk'
It begins here in my house, Greenrigg (Silecroft) and ends here. Usually in the bath. It was my ‘daily walk’ I did it often. No not every day but whenever there is an opportunity.
I walked by myself. I don’t think I ever had anyone with me except my dog to start with. We had a lovely black Labrador, she would come with me. When we lost her I didn’t do as much solo walking. She was a great buddy. One day I’d been going up Black Coombe, I’d been picking bilberries, because there’s lots of bilberries up there, and I got them in the pack and I was sitting down somewhere half way up it I suppose. Bella was sitting beside me and she yawned a great big yawn so I thought she must be bored stiff, so I jumped up and knocked over the bilberries that I’d had carefully picked… and she laughed. She was a great pal. I wouldn’t have like to do that walk without her I don’t think. It was nice to have someone to talk to really …
I like walking by myself. I feel like the ‘cat who walked alone’ (The Cat That Walked by Herself by Rudyard Kipling).
I walked by myself. I don’t think I ever had anyone with me except my dog to start with. We had a lovely black Labrador, she would come with me. When we lost her I didn’t do as much solo walking. She was a great buddy. One day I’d been going up Black Coombe, I’d been picking bilberries, because there’s lots of bilberries up there, and I got them in the pack and I was sitting down somewhere half way up it I suppose. Bella was sitting beside me and she yawned a great big yawn so I thought she must be bored stiff, so I jumped up and knocked over the bilberries that I’d had carefully picked… and she laughed. She was a great pal. I wouldn’t have like to do that walk without her I don’t think. It was nice to have someone to talk to really …
I like walking by myself. I feel like the ‘cat who walked alone’ (The Cat That Walked by Herself by Rudyard Kipling).
Prototype guide book images created by Louise Ann Wilson
Prototype guide book images created by Louise Ann Wilson
Sue Faulkner – The Tuesday Walkers
This walking group started about 34-years ago by a lady called Jill Peel who lives at Silecroft. It started as the Silecroft WI Walking Group but over the years it has morphed into whoever wanted to come and about 7 or 8 years ago Jill, who’ll be 89 this week, couldn’t do the walks with us anymore and I took over bringing everybody out every week. We go every Tuesday and just have a lovely time.
We walk every week, every Tuesday it doesn’t matter what the weather’s doing we just don our waterproofs and get going. We just love walking. We’re all over 60. I’m over 70. Walking is such a wonderful past time. We have such a laugh and such great fun. It’s just women that walk. We have a laughs lots giggles. You chat to everybody about things that have wrong, things that have gone right by the time you’ve got to the end it’s all sorted out.
Jill reckons she could have got up Everest if there was a zig-zag paths.
Sue Faulkner – The Tuesday Walkers
This walking group started about 34-years ago by a lady called Jill Peel who lives at Silecroft. It started as the Silecroft WI Walking Group but over the years it has morphed into whoever wanted to come and about 7 or 8 years ago Jill, who’ll be 89 this week, couldn’t do the walks with us anymore and I took over bringing everybody out every week. We go every Tuesday and just have a lovely time.
We walk every week, every Tuesday it doesn’t matter what the weather’s doing we just don our waterproofs and get going. We just love walking. We’re all over 60. I’m over 70. Walking is such a wonderful past time. We have such a laugh and such great fun. It’s just women that walk. We have a laughs lots giggles. You chat to everybody about things that have wrong, things that have gone right by the time you’ve got to the end it’s all sorted out.
Jill reckons she could have got up Everest if there was a zig-zag paths.
Wallace Heim’s Low Wood Walk: ‘My heart goes out’
From Low Wood, turn left, ‘up the hill’ through Birk Dault Wood to Bigland Tarn. Round the tarn (west side) up to Bigland Heights. Scramble-up to the wind blasted trees for a view over Morecambe Bay and the Furness Fells.
Just look, don’t do anything, just look.
Wallace Heim’s Low Wood Walk: ‘My heart goes out’
From Low Wood, turn left, ‘up the hill’ through Birk Dault Wood to Bigland Tarn. Round the tarn (west side) up to Bigland Heights. Scramble-up to the wind blasted trees for a view over Morecambe Bay and the Furness Fells.
Just look, don’t do anything, just look.
Harriet Fraser’s Brigsteer Woods Walk: ‘Once Daily, and the Holder of Years’
I got ill in in 2008 – it grounded me (literally). I couldn’t even walk the kids to school. I releaised I might have had my last walk… you never know when your last time will be. Not being able to do what I could previously do physically made me think ‘so who am I anyway.’ It was a really big hole. I thought about ‘the tree’ – I thought about what I could do, what I could cope with. Someone said ‘just get yourself out into a green space even if it’s just for 5-minutes’. Walking and creativity played a huge part in finding my way back to wellness, and continue to be a vital part of my health.
Harriet Fraser’s Brigsteer Woods Walk: ‘Once Daily, and the Holder of Years’
I got ill in in 2008 – it grounded me (literally). I couldn’t even walk the kids to school. I releaised I might have had my last walk… you never know when your last time will be. Not being able to do what I could previously do physically made me think ‘so who am I anyway.’ It was a really big hole. I thought about ‘the tree’ – I thought about what I could do, what I could cope with. Someone said ‘just get yourself out into a green space even if it’s just for 5-minutes’. Walking and creativity played a huge part in finding my way back to wellness, and continue to be a vital part of my health.
Joanna McLaren’s Catbells – Maiden Moor – High Spy Walk: ‘My last Wainwright, A very happy day’
Joanna McLaren’s Catbells – Maiden Moor – High Spy Walk: ‘My last Wainwright, A very happy day’
Joanna McLaren’s Catbells – Maiden Moor – High Spy Walk: ‘My last Wainwright, a very happy day’
by Louise Ann Wilson with Joanna McLaren's words
I started walking when I moved back to The Lakes
I started walking knowing I could do it for me,
without thinking about anybody else.
I was amazed. I can do this. I can walk.
Exodus. Saved up. Walked in Turkey, Morocco, Provence
Exodus. Trained up. Walked Mont Blanc
Exodus. Climbed up. Kilimanjaro
Exodus. Clocked up. The Wainwrights
Walking was obsessive.
I walked slowly, at my own pace.
I walked alone, no pressure.
I loved that feeling when you get to the top,
everything opens out.
Walking was compulsive.
I punctuated my walks with many stops.
I stopped for many coffee breaks
I stopped for a first lunch, a second lunch, a third lunch.
I stopped to orientate, to name the fells, to look out,
I stopped to see the Hellvelyn Range, the Isle of Man,
the Scottish coast.
Walking was fantastic.
My Last Wainwright was ‘somewhere special’:
High Spy, Maiden Moor, Catbells.
My Last Wainwright was in a place of
gold and silver, wild daffodils and spring lambs,
Mrs Tiggy Winkle and Mr Goblin.
My Last Wainwright was in a place sounded by ravens,
sheep and aeroplanes.
A place of sanctuary where my father’s ashes were scattered.
A place of beauty where my mother’s ashes were scattered.
A place of happiness where my brother’s ashes were scattered.
A place where I will be one day.
A place where ‘Well Done’ was written in stones.
A place where a heart- shaped stone was found – an omen.
A place of happiness, I now walk in my memory.
Prototype guide book images created by Louise Ann Wilson
Prototype guide book images created by Louise Ann Wilson