A blue heritage plaque is being erected at the former home of nationally renowned climber & artist Bill Peascod. Bill was born at 85 Main Street, Ellenborough, Maryport, on 3rd May 1920 & at the age of 13, entered the pits in his father’s footsteps.
Following a bike ride to the fells after a nightshift at the age of 17, Bill developed an interest in walking the fells, ‘After a night spent in the darkness and turmoil, amongst the sweat and stink of stale air, pit ponies and one’s own pit shirt, my discovery of Western Lakeland set my senses in a whirl’, & his natural strength & ability led to him becoming one of the dominant names in British climbing in the late 1930s & early 1940s. He developed over fifty new climbing routes on previously unclimbed crags in the northwestern Lake District, notably ones in the Buttermere & Honister areas. Over the years, he climbed with many of the country’s greats, including Bert Beck, Bill Birkett, Sir Chris Bonington & Don Whillans.
After qualifying as a mining engineer, he emigrated to Australia in 1952, taking up a role as a lecturer in mining, where he discovered another passion & natural skill for painting, particularly landscapes. Despite great success in Australia, including exhibitions in Sydney, Melbourne & Brisbane, Bill longed to return to Cumbria & returned to the United Kingdom in 1980, where he continued to paint. Sadly, Bill died whilst climbing in Wales in 1985, but he left many legacies, especially the wonderful & unique works in paint & many modern classic climbs.