Alfred Wainwright (often referred to as "AW") was born in 1907 in Blackburn, Lancashire, the son of a stonemason. After leaving school at 13 he went to work for the local council in the borough engineers department. At the age of 23, having saved enough money to visit the English Lake District, he saw England's hills for the first time and his life was changed forever. As soon as he could he took a job with Kendal Borough Council and studied to be a member of the Institute of Municipal Treasurers and Accountants (IMTA) (now the Charted Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy - CIPFA). He qualified in 1941 and after seven years rose to the rank of Borough Treasurer. Much of his free time was spent wandering the hills and mapping for his famous guide books, which were produced between 1952 and 1966. He also produced a guide to his coast to coast route.He never left the UK but holidayed in Scotland. In later life he worked with animal charities.
A
Coast to Coast walk
St
Bees Head to Robin Hood Bay, a 190 mile walk from the Irish Sea to the
North Sea, first published 1973. It is dedicated to the "second person
to walk from St Bees Head to Robin Hood bay". Many have now done this walk,
usually in the other direction, to finish in the Lake District, but Wainwright
liked to walk with the prevailing westerlies to his back. He also had reservations
about official long distance paths and would no doubt look down with approval
on those who deviate from his suggestions to a good pub, a quiet lane or
a rendezvous with friends or even lovers! The book is as detailed as you
would expect and on page 49 Wainwright comments that 49 miles have been
covered on 49 pages, a relationship that is never left too far away in
the 168 pages plus notes. 
See
also:-
Memoirs
of a Fellwanderer. Betty Wainwright (foreword) A. Wainwright
Wainwright:
The biography. Hunter Davis