Research Notes


Map Group BOWLES 1773

Bowles 1773
Road map, Bowles's New Travelling Map of England and Wales, published by Carrington Bowles, London, 1773.
The map studied is in a private collection.
The map size, not allowing for the gaps, is: wxh, sheet = 53.5x61cm; wxh, map:519x595mm. It is sectioned, mounted and folded.
These notes have a strong bias towards Hampshire interest.
MAP FEATURES
HAMPSHIRE TOWNS
HAMPSHIRE ROUTES
ITEMS in the Collection

MAP FEATURES
title    
map maker    

image snip from map
Printed upper left is:-
BOWLES'S NEW TRAVELLING MAP OF ENGLAND AND WALES; Exhibiting all the DIRECT, AND PRINCIPAL CROSS ROADS; with the Distances from Town to Town according to the Mile stones, and other exact Admensurations. Printed for CARINGTON BOWLES, No.69 in St. Pauls Church Yard, LONDON.
Printed at the bottom border is:-
Published as the Act directs, 2 Jany. 1773.

orientation    
up is N    

The map has no compass rose or north point. It is printed with North at the top of the sheet.

scale    
The map has no scale line. Roughly estimated the scale is about:-
25 miles to 1 inch

lat and long scales    
image snip from map
Printed in the map borders are scales of latitude and longitude for a trapezoid projection; chequered at 5 minute intervals, labelled at 30 minute intervals.
image snip from map
Looking closely at the engraved degree marks for latitude, left and right, they appear slanted. It is possible to imagine that a conical projection is being suggested. As there is no graticule it is not easy to test this.
The map includes from about 2d E to 7d W, 49d 45m to 56d 0m N; England and Wales with part of southern Scotland, and the east coast of Ireland, with routes marked. There is also a tiny corner of France.
The prime meridian runs through central London, perhaps, only guessing, St Paul's Cathedral. The bottom longitude scale is labelled:-
Long. East from London.
Long. West from London.

sea area    
sea plain    
sandbanks    
lighthouses    

The sea is plain, some sea areas labelled, eg:-
ENGLISH CHANNEL
A few sandbanks are drawn by a dotted outline, and might be labelled, eg:-
image snip from map
Goodwin Sands
A lighthouse might be shown, eg:-
image snip from map
Eddistone / Light House
a tower on its rock.

coast line    
coast form lines    
headlands    
harbours    

image snip from map
The coast line is emphasized by form lines. Some headlands are labelled, eg:-
St. Albans Hd.
Spit Hd.
Selsey Bill
Hampshire's harbours are not labelled, but can be recognised.

coastal defence    
castles    

Only:-
image snip from map
Colshet Cas.
of Hampshire's several coastal defence castles is noticed by the map.

rivers    
Rivers are only shown by their estuaries. It is possible to recognise the Avon, Test, and Itchen estuaries on the Hampshire coast.

county    
image snip from map
The county boundary is a dotted line. County areas are labelled, eg:-
HAMP / SHIRE
The detached part of Hampshire in Sussex is not noticed.

settlements    
Settlements are positioned by a circle, with added elements, differentiated by style of labelling. In Hampshire:-
city     circle, buildings; labelled in upright block caps:-
image snip from map
WINCHESTER

town     circle, perhaps a building, cross (+); labelled in upright lowercase text, eg:-
image snip from map
Alton
Alresf.
Except:-
SOUTHAMPTON
in italic block caps.

village     circle; labelled in italic lowercase text, eg:-
image snip from map
Lippock
Sutton [Sutton Scotney]


roads    
road distances    

image snip from map
Roads are drawn by a double line. Road distances from town to town are marked along the routes. At this scale only major routes are shown.

canals    
There is an inset map upper right:-
A MAP of the NAVIGABLE CANALS now making in ENGLAND.
These are listed as:-
His Grace the Duke of Bridgewater's
From the Trent to the Mersey
From the Trent to the Severn
Droitwich Canal
Birmingham Canal
Coventry Canal
Oxford Canal

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HAMPSHIRE TOWNS
All the '21' Hampshire towns are plotted, labelled:-
Alton
Andover
Basingstoke
Waltham
Christ Ch.
Farham
Fordingbridge
Gosport
Havant
Kingsclear
Lymington
Alresf.
Odiam
Petersfield
Portsmouth
Ringwood
Rumsey
Southampton
Stockbridge
Whitchurch
Winchester
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HAMPSHIRE ROUTES
The routes drawn through Hampshire are listed below. I have tried to match the descriptions to traditional routes:-
 
from London; through Bagshot, Surrey; then Blackwater, Hertley Row, Basingstoke, Whitchurch, Andover, Hampshire; then the Hutt [Lopcopmb Corner] and Salisbury, Wiltshire; and west to Lands End.
 
branch from Andover, Hampshire; through Ambresbury, Wiltshire; and west.
 
branch from Basingstoke, through Sutton [Scotney], Stockbridge, Hampshire; then Downton, Wiltshire; across a corner of Hampshire; Cranborn, and on to Pool, Dorset.
 
branch from Stockbridge, Hampshire to join the Lands End road at the Hutt [Lopcomb Corner], Wiltshire.
 
branch from Blackwater, Hampshire; through Swallowfield, Berkshire; to Kingsclear, Hampshire.
 
branch from Bagshot, Surrey; across a corner of Hampshire; through Farnham, Surrey; then Alton, Alresf., to Southampton, Hampshire; AND from Southampton, through Rumsey, Hampshire; to Salisbury, Wiltshire, and west.
 
branch from Alresf. through Winchester, to Southampton, Hampshire.
 
branch from Winchester, through Rumsey and Ringwood, Hampshire; to Pool, Dorset; AND from Pool, Dorset; to Christchurch and Lymington, Hampshire.
 
from London; through Godalming, Surrey; them Lippock, Petersfield, Harnden, Cosham, to Portsmouth, Hampshire.
 
branch off the Lippock-Petersfield road; through Rogate to Midhurst, Sussex.
 
from Winchester, through Waltham, Cosham, and Havant, Hampshire; to Chichester, Sussex, and beyond.
 
from Winchester, to Petersfield Hampshire.
 
from Oxford, Oxfordshire; through Newbury, Berkshire; then Kingsclear, Basingstoke, Alton, Petersfield, Hampshire; to Chichester, Sussex.

ITEMS  in HMCMS Map Collection and Private Collections   (scanned item in bold)
  private collection (3) -- map
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   All Old Hampshire Mapped Resources