Old Map of Dorset in 1611 by John Speed - Bridport, Lyme Regis, Shaftesbury

This reproduction reproduces John Speed's 1611 map of Dorset, or Dorsetshire as it was then known, taken from his landmark atlas The Theatre of the Empire of Great Britaine, the first county-by-county survey of England and Wales. Unlike many of Speed's more familiar hand-coloured county maps, this plate survives as an exceedingly rare monochrome copperplate impression, engraved in Amsterdam by Jodocus Hondius, whose fine linework gives the map its distinctive crisp, uncoloured detail.

The map is particularly rich along Dorset's western and southern coastline, recording Bridport, then labelled Birdport, and the neighbouring harbour town of Lyme Regis, alongside Shaftesbury perched on its hilltop to the north. Further along the coast, Lulworth, the Isle of Portland, and Weymouth are all marked, together with the inland market towns of Wareham, Blandford, Cranbourne, and Yeovil, recorded under its older spelling of Evill. In the top left corner sits a detailed engraving of Dorchester, the county town of Dorset, anchoring the map's decorative cartouche. Together these towns build a detailed picture of early Jacobean Dorset, stretching from the Jurassic coastline inland to the chalk downs.

This map makes a fitting housewarming gift for anyone settling near Bridport or Lyme Regis, a retirement present for a couple moving to the Dorset coast, or a wedding or anniversary gift for a pair with West Dorset roots. It also suits a Christmas gift for a family historian researching Dorset ancestry, or a corporate gift for a business based in the county. The fine engraved coastline, town markings, and decorative cartouche from Speed and Hondius's original 1611 plate have been carefully restored, keeping every detail sharp despite the map's delicate monochrome printing.