On Cambrian and Cumbrian Hills, Pilgrimages to Snowdon and Scafell

Henry S. Salt

Edition: First Edition
Publisher: A. C. Fifield, London
Published: 1908
Length: 128
Format: Hardback
Reprints: 1911

Second Edition
1922 C. W. Daniel, Hardback, 124 pages

Summary

On Cambrian and Cumbrian Hills by Henry S. Salt is a reflective exploration of the mountains of Carnarvonshire and Cumberland, capturing the profound emotional connection that these landscapes evoke. Unlike traditional mountain literature aimed at tourists or technical climbers, Salt’s work is a heartfelt tribute to the beauty and spirit of the hills, with a deep appreciation for the natural world.

Salt’s personal reflections include observations of mountain wildlife, such as ravens and wild goats, and his admiration for iconic peaks like Tryfan and Great Gable. The book also issues a timely plea for the preservation of these “mountain sanctuaries” to prevent their destruction from development and enclosure. Salt, a committed vegetarian, intertwines his views on nature with a broader advocacy for conservation, calling for national parks to protect these irreplaceable landscapes.

With its combination of nature writing and environmental activism, the book resonates with those who share Salt’s love for the mountains and his concern for their future. Complete with photographs of Tryfan and Great Gable, On Cambrian and Cumbrian Hills offers a poetic, yet urgent, appeal for the safeguarding of Britain’s natural heritage.

Reissued in a grey wrapper dated 1911 in the publisher’s Shilling series.

Content

Pilgrims of the Mountain
At the Shrine of Snowdon
At the Shrine of Scafell
Pleasures of the Heights
Wild Life
The Barren Hillside
Slag-Heap or Sanctuary?

What the Critics Said

“The devotion with which he approaches the great mountains, the exhilaration of their summits, the endless charm and interest of their surroundings, the variety of their winged and four-footed inhabitants… all these things are spontaneously in evidence here.”—Edward Carpenter.

“Written by a mountain lover who can give skilful expression to his observation and his enthusiasm.”—The Times.

“It is not a guide book as guide books go; it is an open-air pocket companion for those who delight in the healthiness of wind and hill.”—Pall Mall Gazette

“A restful, thoughtful, sincere book, just suited to a sane, reflective person during their holidays.”—Morning Leader.

“He gives us a sense of the mystery and the indescribable fascination which pertain to mountain solitudes. It is because he is no fair weather pilgrim merely, but has loved the hills in all their moods, and roamed them at all seasons, that he is able to give us such varied and suggestive records of what they offer for human delight. The chapters on ‘Pleasures of the heights’ and ‘The Barren Hillside’ are rich in vivid descriptive power.”—The Inquirer.

“Mr. Salt is a writer of distinction; not a climber in the strict sense (that, and just a little forcing of the sentiment sometimes, are his only fault), but a walker almost of genius. Of relative beauty in mountains, too, he is a very sound judge, placing Great Gable and Tryfan well at the top.”—Manchester Guardian.

“His knowledge of the Carnarvonshire mountains must be immense, and in addition to knowing them he understands them. The book is an appreciation, almost lyrical at times, of the beauty and mystery of the hills. All mountain lovers will recognise the true note.—North Wales Observer.

“For our own Lakeland fells, anyone who has clambered about them cannot fail to see the perfect acquaintance Mr. Salt has with their fastnesses. To many people the reading of these pages will be both a revelation and an inspiration.”—Whitehaven News.

“The Spirit of close intimate familiarity breathes through the pages, but the familiarity has never wearied or cloyed. For him the hills always wear a new dress, whether bathed in sunshine or shrouded in mist.”—Liverpool Post.

“A very interesting and sympathetic contribution to mountain literature. The book will be appreciated by all true lovers of the mountains.”—Shrewsbury Courier.

“In a delightful chapter on ‘Wild Life on the Hills’ he tells us how much enjoyment there is in walks around Snowdon and Scawfell.”—The Queen.

“His keen sympathies, his love for the beautiful and majestic, his ardour in legitimate and healthy recreation, will all win for him a ready response on the part of the public which is shove the debasing forms of ‘sport.’”—Manchester City News.

“A luminous and attractive sketch. His charming study of Snowdon and Scawfell should be cordially welcomed by their devotees, and his eloquent appeal for the preservation of their sanctuaries, before they are disfigured, earnestly re-echoed.”—Leicester Post.

“His plea for the preservation of the mountains from the destroying influences of vandalism and commercialism is fully justified by the facts.”—Birmingham Post.