Old Map of Kent in 1611 by John Speed - Maidstone, Tunbridge, Dartford

This 1611 map of Kent by John Speed shows the county from an inland perspective, with Maidstone, the historic county town on the River Medway, and Tunbridge, later home to the famous wells, both clearly marked among the western towns of the county. Dartford, on the old road out of London, anchors the northwestern corner of the map, close to the crossing points that once carried travellers between Kent and the capital.

Further into the map, Bromley, Orpington and Edenbridge appear among the wooded, hilly country of the Weald, along with the small village of Hever, still known today for its moated castle. Because the historic boundary of Kent once extended further north than the modern county does, the map also includes towns now considered part of Greater London, such as Greenwich, Woolwich, Lewisham and Beckenham, alongside Southwark close to the city of London itself. The coastal town of Margate appears at the edge of the map too, a reminder that Speed was determined to capture every corner of the county on a single sheet. As with the rest of Speed's atlas, many place names appear in their older, Early Modern English spelling.

This print brings a real sense of inland Kent's rolling, orchard-covered landscape into a home office, hallway or living room. It makes a lovely birthday or Christmas gift for someone who grew up around Maidstone or Tunbridge, a retirement gift for someone who spent years commuting from Dartford, or a housewarming gift for a new home anywhere in the Kent Weald. It's also a fitting Father's Day gift for a dad with deep roots in the Garden of England, standing out as a distinctive and conversation-starting piece of wall art.