Cumbrian woman spins 1.1km of yarn on Wainwright's 214 peaks

Susan said many people she met on the fells told her they grew up with spinning and weaving

A woman has spent three years climbing all of Alfred Wainwright's 214 fells to spin yarn at the summits.

Susan Denham-Smith from Ennerdale, Cumbria, used a traditional wooden wheel to spin more than 0.6 miles (1.1km) of Herdwick wool for charity.

The resulting skeins are being woven into a rug that will be auctioned in aid of a Lake District centre for children and adults with disabilities.

She has spun in snow, rain and sun but said the most difficult was the wind.

"Spinning wool on the Wainwrights has been quite a challenge," Susan said.

"The biggest challenge overall was finding somewhere stable to sit and spin on the summits.

"Along the way, I've been joined and supported by a steady stream of passers-by... I've had lots of interesting conversations with children about how the wheel worked."

Susan carried a portable Louet Victoria Spinning wheel up each peak to spin 30 skeins of wool

The challenge started at the top of Latrigg on 2 June 2019 and Susan has just completed her final Wainwright peak, Hallin Fell.

In total she has spun 30 skeins of yarn, weighing 2.23kg.

Susan's finished rug will raise money for the Lake District Calvert Trust, a residential outdoor centre.

She added: "Having previously taught in a day centre for people with physical difficulties, I know just how important Calvert is for the disabled community.

"It's a charity that's very close to my heart."