Thursday, March 13, 2008

Cock of the North

This is the Gough Map, dating from roughly 1360. It's the earliest surviving map that shows Britain in a recognisable shape. Previous maps - favouring theology over geography - would show how Britain fitted into the wider world of Christendom, but would forget to make the island even roughly the right shape.

But the Gough map, named after the 18th Century antiquarian Richard Gough, who bought it in 1744, boasts a roughly accurate coastline, recognisable rivers, cities and roads. The only thing it gets badly wrong is Scotland, which looks like a schoolboy drawing of a penis, complete with 'spunk islands'.

Personally, I prefer this one to the modern one.

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