Description
The maps on sheet 5 show the Barnstaple district as it was around 1840. The maps show buildings, roads (with turnpike roads and toll-gates distinguished), rivers and streams, field boundaries and cultivation, woodland, parkland, orchards, archaeological features, historic parish and hundred boundaries, and a host of small features of the landscape. The maps include a considerable number of field-names.
A special feature of sheet 5 is the town map of Barnstaple in 1843, which is based mainly on a map made in that year by John Wood. Barnstaple had been enclosed by a town wall in the medieval period, overlooked by a castle built shortly after the Norman Conquest, and although these were all demolished long before 1843 (except for the West Gate which was still standing), their lasting impact on the shape of the town stands out clearly on this map. Notable features of the early nineteenth century town include the Quay, where vessels of 100 tons burden could unload; the workhouse, built in 1837 under the new Poor Law; and rows of workers’ housing near the Derby Lace Factory.
The maps are printed on a large sheet of quality paper. The sheet is folded to A4 size and comes with a protective sleeve of archive-quality polyester.
The Devon in 1840 series is for anyone who has an interest in the historical landscape. If your Victorian ancestors lived in Devon, you will find no more detailed picture of the locality in which they lived. Local historians and archaeologists will use these maps alongside original documents, and will appreciate the place-name index and the Guide to Historical Sources included on each sheet.
