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South Coast Harbours 1698
report by Edmund Dummer and Thomas Wiltshaw

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Chart Features - Christchurch

title cartouche
wreath cartouche
title
title cartouche snip image

The title cartouche bottom centre is a wreath of leaves, tinted green, tied with a red ribbon. The title is:-
Christ Church River Westward of Hurst Castle wth:out ye. Isle of Wight
'without' not meaning lacking but outwith (outside).
The cartouche contains:-
scale line
scale
A scale line:-
scale line snip image
A Scale of one Mile
with divisions at quarter miles. The 1 mile = 72.1mm; assuming a modern statute mile this gives a scale 1 to 22290; or, if a sea mile of 6082.95 feet, 1 to 25715. The map scale is about:-

   1 to 22000 or 1 to 25000
   2.5 or 3 inches to 1 mile
orientation
compass rose
up is NW
compass rose snip image

The map has a compass rose. There are four star points for the cardinal directions, tinted red/pink, and four more for the half cardinal directions, tinted grey/blue. North is marked by a yellow fleur de lys. Up on the sheet is NW.
table of data
table of data snip image

Left and right at the bottom, in plain rectangular cartouches, are explanations of letters used to mark features on the map. Eg:-
cc. Two Mills
sea plain
rocks
sandbanks
coast appearance
coast line snip image

The sea is plain. Off shore at the river mouth are the outlines of rocks or sandbanks, tinted grey, looking like a hazard to navigation. The shore at the river mouth is drawn with circles, perhaps indicating a pebbly shore.

coast line snip image

The coast to westward is drawn with the appearance of low cliffs.
rivers
harbours
The subject of the map is the 'Christ Church River' which is drawn from its narrow entrance, where there is:-
a. Peer now making
for the harbour.

rivers snip image
Inland the river is a confusion of channels and creeks and mud flats. It divides into two main arms:-
d. Blandford River
e. Salisbury River
The rivers are being described, not named - a pernickety distinction perhaps. They are the River Stour and River Avon respectively.
On a pool by a creek half a mile inland is:-

rivers snip image
b. Store-house
Presumably a harbour warehouse.
bridges
A fine bridge with 6 arches,
bridges snip image

bridges snip image

then a smaller one of 2 arches nearer the town, carry a road into Christchurch from the eastward, over two arms of the River Avon.
relief
hills snip image

The land area is tinted a muddy brown, with a little green. Westward of the town low hills are suggested in profile, with smaller hillocks west of the river mouth.
woods
trees snip image

There are a few trees drawn about the land area, tinted emerald green. Most trees are clustered around settlements, or along roads.
settlements
streets
settlements snip image

Settlements are drawn by groups of buildings, roofs tinted grey. Christchurch is not labelled, but is implied by the map's title. It has a fine array of buildings drawn along streets.

settlements snip image

Christchurch Priory is drawn as a great church.
mills
water mills
A mill lade is drawn off the River Avon at Christchurch, where the road crosses the river towards Lymington. At this point there is a building marked 'c'. The lade curves round the priory inland of the river and comes out into the River Stour, just above the confluence of the rivers, where there is another building marked 'c'. The table of data explains:-

mills snip image

cc. Two Mills
roads
Some roads are drawn, by a double line representing the edges, with a dotted line down the middle denoting the track. One road leaves westward from the town ending at the River Stour. A road north is:-
g. Road to Pool
And eastward out of the town, crossing the River Avon on fine bridges, is:-
f. Road to Lymington
roads snip image

A turning off this road goes by a few houses, southwards to the coastal area.

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Christchurch, Dorset
South Coast Harbours 1698 logo, button to main menu
South Coast Harbours 1698
report by Edmund Dummer and Thomas Wiltshaw