Antique Map of Northumberland with Holy Island and Berwick, 1885

This is an original antique map of Northumberland, printed by lithography with original hand coloring and dated 1885 by the atlas it comes from. The title at the upper left reads "NORTHUMBERLAND", followed by "REDUCED FROM THE ORDNANCE SURVEY" and "Divided into 5 mile squares", with a scale of British Statute Miles and a key that includes "Mineral Lines & Collieries" as well as railways and borough boundaries.

The county fills the sheet from Berwick upon Tweed at the top to the Tyne at the foot, with "NORTH SEA" lettered down the right. The northern division is washed by hand in green and the southern in rose, and both are lettered across the map. Berwick carries a crimson borough wash at the top of the coast, and below it "HOLY ISLAND or Lindisfarn" is drawn in place on the coast with its harbor, followed by the Farne group, lettered "FERN IDS", Bamburgh, Alnwick, Alnmouth Bay, Warkworth and Coquet Island. Cheviot Hill and the border hills are modeled in heavy hachure on the west side. In the south the valleys of the Tyne run down past Bellingham, Hexham and Haltwhistle. Crimson borough washes mark Morpeth, Newcastle and the Tynemouth and North Shields group at the mouth of the Tyne, with Gateshead, Sunderland and part of Durham beyond the river. Berwickshire, Roxburghshire and Cumberland are lettered along the western side, and the sheet is divided into five mile squares with letters and figures in the border.

No maker's name is lettered on this sheet. A printed note explains that "The official names of Railway Stations are all engraved in a special character, thus, Clayton; except where indicated by the name of the town being in bold letters and identical with the name of the Station." The sheet number "32" is printed sideways in the lower right corner.

It comes from The New Large Scale Ordnance Atlas of the British Isles, published in London by G. W. Bacon and Co., and is dated 1885 by the volume it was taken from; no date is printed on the sheet itself. Edward Weller (1819 to 1884) was a London map engraver and draftsman and a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.

Vertical fold down the center from binding. Even age toning. Handling soiling along the left, right and top edges. A few small foxing spots in the margin. Slight wear at the bottom right and top left corners.

This is an original antique map, not a modern reproduction. This item is sold unframed.