Maps & Folding Plates

Folding Plates are a plate or illustration that is too big to fit into the book and therefore has been folded neatly into the book. Often these are maps or drawings. A sample is given below.

Bird's eye view of Nottingham from the west circa 1677

Seen on the Derby road is Chapel Bar, the old west gate into the walled enclosure of Nottingham, erected around 1154. Most prominent is Nottingham Castle. After captured by the Parliamentarians in the Civil War it was slighted in 1651. It was bought in 1674 by the Duke of Newcastle and converted into a palace but burnt down in 1831 during a riot. St Mary's Church is to its right. The church with a spire is probably St Peter.

The diary of castle governor, Colonel Hutchinson's wife, Lucy states, There was an old church called St Nicholas' Church, whose steeple so commanded the platform that the men could not play the ordnance without woolsacks before them. From this church the bullets played so thick into the outward Castle Yard that they could not pass from one gate to another, nor relieve the guards, but with great hazard. And so the church was destroyed in 1643. For 28 years there was no St. Nicholas in Nottingham. A new church was completed in 1678, but without a spire according to this 1751 engraving.

Geological Map of England and Wales reduced by permission from the map in 6 sheets published by the Geological Society 1st June 1826

Creator, J. Gardner. An image from the map housed in its original navy blue & gold edged box. Reduced from the Map in 6 Sheets, and mounted on linen to fold to 19 x 21cm. Hand colouring on engraved base. It is a reduced version of George Bellas Greenough's huge 'Geological Map of England and Wales' (1820) illustrated below, lefthand map. Belton's map is a slightly earlier edition than that held by the Geological Society. The Society was inaugurated on 13 November 1807 at a dinner at the Freemasons Tavern, Covent Garden.

The extent of the Lincolnshire fens is shown, although drainage had begun in the 17th century.

Chorea gigantum by Dr Charleton

This is a second edition printed 1725.

In 1663, the royal physician Walter Charleton published Chorea gigantum [giants’ dance]: or, The most famous antiquity of Great Britain, vulgarly called Stone-heng, standing on Salisbury-Plain, restored to the Danes. He argued that the monument was the work of the Vikings. A presentation copy was given to his patron, King Charles II.

James I, had become aware of the stones in 1620 when he stayed at nearby Wilton House, and had asked his royal surveyor, Inigo Jones, to investigate. Jones’ report, published posthumously in 1655, argued that Stonehenge was of Roman origin. Jones, had visited Italy and seen Roman remains for himself. He concluded that Stonehenge must have been built by the Romans, since theirs was the only culture that had occupied England and was capable of creating such magnificence.

This view shows tumuli to the left.

'Young' Sir John Brownlow's view of the world (Library XLVI.G.5)

Within the book he has placed his initials and the price (£90 RPI). We can have a fair degree of confidence that this is he, when comparing the initials to his signature on the contract for the Vandrebank tapestries in the Chapel Drawing Room. A monogram from another book, JB may also be him, but one can't exclude one of the other two John Brownlows in the family.

Author Thomas Burnet. Terra incognita on the maps - unknown land.

First edition Ordnance Survey

Published at the Tower of London 1st March 1824.

Relating to the map of Lincolnshire, Belton Park. Note the original route of Londonthorpe Lane, someone has pencilled in another road. The current route is thought to date to WW1 or shortly after.

No Bellmount Plantation (planted 1820s), no golf courses, no St John the Evangelist, Manthorpe (built in 1847–48). Tar Lane Pond is on the wrong side of Five Gates lane.