Old Map of County Londonderry by Petty, 1685: Ballymoney, Portrush, Coleraine, Limavady, Downhill Demesne, Roe Valley
This map, titled ‘County Londonderry’, is a detailed political and physical map of County Londonderry, originally published in 1685 by Sir William Petty. It is a later, reduced scale map based on the Down Survey of Ireland, originally undertaken in 1656 to 1658. The Down Survey was the first ever detailed land survey on a national scale anywhere in the world. Its purpose was to measure lands which, following the calamitous English Civil War, much of which was fought on Irish soil, were to be taken from Irish Catholic landowners and given to English Protestants.
Sir William Petty was a surgeon-general in the English army, a physician, professor of anatomy at Oxford, professor of music in London, inventor, landowner, and Member of Parliament. He wrote several books, including A Treatise of Taxes and Contributions (1662), Political Survey or Anatomy of Ireland (1672), and Five Essays in Political Arithmetick (1687). For these insights he was called, by Karl Marx and others, the “father of political economy.”
The map is very detailed, showing roads, bridges, cities, places, bishopricks and archbishopricks that were present in the late 17th century in Ireland. Hills, forests, rivers, lakes and loughs are shown pictorially. The map covers the entire county of Londonderry, and includes the cities of Londonderry, Coleraine, and Magherafelt. Other towns and villages shown on the map include Limavady, Portrush, Portstewart, Ballymoney, Kilrea, Garvagh, and Dungiven.
The map also shows several historical landmarks, including Downhill Demesne, Mussenden Temple, Roe Valley Country Park, St. Columb’s Cathedral, Limavady Castle, Springhill House, The Argory, Ballyscullion Park, Bellaghy Bawn, and Dungiven Castle. These landmarks are all significant to the history of County Londonderry and provide a glimpse into the rich history of the region.
The map is a valuable resource for anyone interested in the history of County Londonderry or in the history of Ireland in general. It is a detailed and accurate representation of the county as it existed in the late 17th century, and it provides a wealth of information about the region’s geography, history, and culture.
This is an old map, and not every modern place is shown, or they may be on the map with a different name. If this was a modern map, covering the same area, the following things would be visible on the map:
Cities and Towns: – Londonderry – Coleraine – Magherafelt – Limavady – Portrush – Portstewart – Ballymoney – Kilrea – Garvagh – Dungiven
National Parks and Major Parks: – None visible
Historic Landmarks: – Downhill Demesne – Mussenden Temple – Roe Valley Country Park – St. Columb’s Cathedral – Limavady Castle – Springhill House – The Argory – Ballyscullion Park – Bellaghy Bawn – Dungiven Castle
Historical Events: – The Siege of Londonderry (1689) – The Battle of the Boyne (1690) – The Battle of Aughrim (1691) – The Flight of the Earls (1607) – The Plantation of Ulster (1609-1625) – The Irish Rebellion of 1641 – The Cromwellian Conquest of Ireland (1649-1653) – The Williamite War in Ireland (1689-1691)
Additional Towns and Villages in County Londonderry: – Aghadowey – Ardmore – Articlave – Ballinascreen – Ballykelly – Ballyronan – Banagher – Binevenagh – Brackaville – Brockagh – Burnfoot – Carntogher – Castledawson – Claudy – Clonmany – Coagh – Coleraine – Cookstown – Craigavon – Creeslough – Culmore – Desertmartin – Draperstown – Dungiven – Eglinton – Faughanvale – Feeny – Garvagh – Glenullin – Gortin – Greencastle – Greysteel – Kilrea – Limavady – Lisahally – Londonderry – Maghera – Magherafelt – Moneymore – Park – Portstewart – Portrush – Randalstown – Roe Valley – Swatragh – Tobermore – Toomebridge – Upperlands – Waterside – Whitepark Bay
Please double check the images to make sure that a specific town or place is shown on this map. You can also get in touch and ask us to check the map for you.
This map looks great at every size, but I always recommend going for a larger size if you have space. That way you can easily make out all of the details.
This map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 50in (125cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please get in touch.
The model in the listing images is holding the 16x20in (40x50cm) version of this map.
The fifth listing image shows an example of my map personalisation service.
If you’re looking for something slightly different, check out my collection of the best old maps to see if something else catches your eye.
Please contact me to check if a certain location, landmark or feature is shown on this map.
This would make a wonderful birthday, Christmas, Father’s Day, work leaving, anniversary or housewarming gift for someone from the areas covered by this map.
This map is available as a giclée print on acid free archival matte paper, or you can buy it framed. The frame is a nice, simple black frame that suits most aesthetics. Please get in touch if you’d like a different frame colour or material. My frames are glazed with super-clear museum-grade acrylic (perspex/acrylite), which is significantly less reflective than glass, safer, and will always arrive in perfect condition.
