Old Map of Northamptonshire in 1611 by John Speed - Northampton, Kettering, Peterborough

Engraved by Jodocus Hondius and first published in John Speed's 1611 atlas, The Theatre of the Empire of Great Britaine, this map presents Northamptonshire as it appeared at the start of the seventeenth century. Northampton, the county town on the River Nene, sits at the centre of the sheet, with the market towns of Kettering, Wellingborough, Daventry and Towcester marked around it, alongside Peterborough, which at this date still belonged to Northamptonshire before boundary changes moved it into a separate county centuries later.

Speed's map captures a county steeped in English history. Fotheringhay, marked along the River Nene, was the site of the castle where Mary, Queen of Scots was executed in 1587, a piece of history that would have been well known to readers of Speed's original atlas. The wooded expanse of Rockingham Forest is shown stretching across the north-east of the county, while the market town of Oundle and the smaller settlement of Brackley appear among the surrounding villages. To the south, the land around Althorp, later home to the Spencer family, forms part of the gently rolling countryside that made Northamptonshire an important centre of the wool and shoemaking trades for centuries.

This Northamptonshire map brings genuine period character to any wall, whether displayed in an office, hallway or living room. It makes a memorable birthday gift for anyone from Northampton, Kettering or the surrounding villages, a fitting leaving gift for a colleague relocating away from the county, and a considered anniversary present for a couple who married near Daventry or Towcester. Supplied unframed on high-quality paper, it is a versatile and distinctive piece of wall art that suits any style of interior.