Old Map of Somerset in 1611 by John Speed - Wells, Glastonbury, Frome, Bridgwater
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This county map of Somerset was created by John Speed and engraved by Jodocus Hondius, first published in 1611 within Speed's celebrated Theatre of the Empire of Great Britaine. It records the ancient county in fine engraved detail at a time when Somerset's cathedral city, market towns and abbey ruins already carried centuries of history behind them.
The map places particular emphasis on Wells, England's smallest cathedral city, and nearby Glastonbury with its famous abbey ruins, alongside Frome and Bridgwater as thriving market towns. Further afield you can pick out Bath, Portishead, Weston-super-Mare, Taunton, Yeovil, Clevedon, Chard and Longleat, along with Bristol sitting just across the county boundary. Many of these names appear in their Early Modern English spellings, a reminder of just how much the English language has shifted since 1611.
This map makes a fitting housewarming gift for someone moving to Somerset, a birthday or Christmas present for a proud local, or a retirement and leaving gift for a colleague with ties to the county. It also works well as an anniversary gift for a couple who married near Wells or Glastonbury. The engraved detail and hand colouring have been carefully restored so every town name remains crisp and legible.
