Antique Hobson Fox Hunting Map of Nottinghamshire, Rufford Hunt, circa 1870

About this sheet

Engraved by J. and C. Walker for Hobson's Fox-Hunting Atlas circa 1870, this antique fox hunting map of Nottinghamshire shows five hunt countries in hand color. Mr Lumley's country, in pink, holds the north-east corner toward Worksop and the Lincolnshire border; Rufford, in yellow, runs down the eastern side through Sherwood Forest; Belvoir, in pink, lies along the southern border toward Leicestershire; Quorn, in green, takes the far south-west corner; and Burton, in pink, crosses the west toward Mansfield and the Derbyshire border. Sherwood Forest is marked by a noticeably denser scatter of green woodland blocks than the farmland around it, a visible trace of its ancient character even after centuries of enclosure and clearance.

The Trent, broad and blue, crosses the south of the sheet past Nottingham, with the main railway lines converging on the county town in red. A reference table for the divisions occupies the lower left corner, and the cartouche, with the county name, the Walker imprint and the statistical note, sits at upper right.

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. Rufford's neighbor to the north was hunted under Mr Lumley's mastership at the date the atlas was compiled, and his name is lettered across that corner of the plate.

This antique fox hunting map of Nottinghamshire 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 age toning, stronger towards the edges, a central fold, faint offsetting within the map and a few small spots. 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.