The Fell Side, Haweswater
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Research by Julie Newburn
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Acc No 17
Artist Walter Eastwood Artist dates 1866-1943 Medium oil on canvas Size 58.4 x 43.2 cm (23 x 17 in) Date painted unknown Donated by Isabella Norris King of Shallowford, Orton, Westmorland (formerly of Newbury Road, St Annes) Date donated 30 April 1956 Walter Eastwood biography by Lytham Heritage Group |
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ARTIST
Walter Eastwood was born in Rochdale, Lancashire in 1867. He studied at the Heywood School of Art and came to Lytham in 1902. He took premises at 17 Market Square, Lytham, where he set up as a photographer and also sold his own paintings, many depicting local scenes. He was the first President of the Lytham St Annes Art Society in 1912. A fellow member of the Society, who was also his friend, was Sir Cuthbert Grundy, one of two brothers from South Shore, Blackpool who founded the town's Grundy Art Gallery. Walter Eastwood’s watercolours had immense charm and will have been treasured by those who were fortunate enough to own them. Lytham Heritage Group held a major retrospective exhibition of the Life of Walter Eastwood in 1987 where 128 of his paintings were on view. Walter Eastwood was buried at St Cuthbert's Church, Lytham. PAINTING The painting shows an autumn landscape of the fell side at Haweswater, Cumbria. Originally, Haweswater was two small natural lakes but in order to give the growing population of Manchester clean drinking water, Manchester Corporation built a reservoir. To allow the building of a dam, the village of Mardale was flooded in the 1930s, causing the water level to rise 29 metres. The reservoir measured 6kms long by 600m wide and changed the landscape of the area forever. It is interesting to note that when the water level is low, the remains of the old Mardale village can still be seen. The area of the fells of Haweswater, where the landscape was painted with low cloud hanging over, is the north westerly aspect. There are a few sheep grazing in the foreground. The Haweswater valley is unique as the only place in England where a golden eagle nests (written 2015). |
REFERENCES
Mallalieu, H L (1976), The Dictionary of British Watercolour Artists up to 1920 Hooper, Robin (1988), The Fylde Story, Glasgow and Associates Lancashire Life, 2 June 2012 Ordnance Survey Maps 5, North Eastern area, The English Lakes www.thelakedistrictinfo/haweswater |
