About this sheet
This antique fox hunting map of Herefordshire, from Hobson's Fox-Hunting Atlas, was engraved by J. and C. Walker circa 1870 and shows four hunt countries in hand color. Ludlow, in pink, crosses the north of the county and reaches up into Shropshire; Herefordshire itself, lettered in large blue capitals down the center, takes in the city and the greater part of the county; Ledbury, in yellow, runs the length of the eastern border where the county meets Worcestershire and Gloucestershire; and Monmouthshire, in pink, covers the southern tip toward the Welsh border. The Worcestershire hunt is lettered along the north-east edge where its country runs over the county line.
The River Wye winds through the center past Hereford and Ross, among the county's many orchards and hop yards, shown as green blocks in unusual density even for this series, a reflection of Herefordshire's cider and hop country. A reference table for the hundreds sits at lower left, and the cartouche, with the county name and the Walker imprint, occupies the upper right beside a short list of boroughs and polling places.
The process is steel engraving, with the hunt boundaries in original hand color, applied in outline. J. and C. Walker, the London engravers John and Charles Walker, made the plates for William Colling Hobson, who compiled the atlas, and Longman and Company of Paternoster Row published it. First issued around 1850 and reissued into the 1870s, Hobson's Fox-Hunting Atlas covers every county of England and the three Ridings of Yorkshire; this example is from the edition of circa 1870. The hunt named across the center is Herefordshire itself; Radnorshire, which borders the county to the west, does not appear as a hunt label on this plate.
This antique fox hunting map of Herefordshire is an original sheet from the atlas and is suitable for framing; it is of particular interest to hunting families, to collectors of the county and to anyone with a connection to the place.
The sheet is in good condition for its age, with light age toning, a central fold and a few faint spots in the margins. Please review the images for further condition details.
This is an original antique map, not a modern reproduction. This item is sold unframed. Any framed or interior images are shown for presentation and inspiration only, unless the listing explicitly states that the item is sold framed.
