Old Map of Staffordshire in 1611 by John Speed - Stafford, Wolverhampton, Stoke-on-Trent

This print reproduces John Speed's 1611 map of Staffordshire, one of the county surveys engraved by Jodocus Hondius for Speed's landmark English atlas, The Theatre of the Empire of Great Britaine. When Speed drew this map, Staffordshire spanned a wide swathe of what we now think of as the West Midlands and the Staffordshire Moorlands, long before the Potteries or the Black Country existed as we know them today.

Look closely and you'll spot Stafford, the ancient county town, sitting near the River Sow, along with Wolverhampton, Stoke-on-Trent, Lichfield and its famous three-spired cathedral, Dudley, Walsall, Tamworth, and Burton upon Trent on the banks of the River Trent. The heathland of Cannock Chase and the market town of Newcastle-under-Lyme also appear, giving a genuinely fascinating snapshot of a county that would later become the cradle of English pottery and heavy industry.

Every detail has been carefully restored from the original 1611 engraving so the hand-drawn hills, rivers, and decorative cartouche remain crisp and legible. It's a thoughtful housewarming present for someone settling into a new home in the county, a fitting retirement gift for a lifelong Staffordshire resident, or a memorable Christmas surprise for anyone moving to the area from further afield. Hang it in a hallway, study, or office and it becomes an instant conversation starter about the county's deep history.