Harbour of New-Castle near Tinmouth-Barre (1672)

This map was drawn in December of the year that Clifford’s Fort was built at the narrows of the harbour, between North Shields and Tynemouth. 1672 also marked the Third Dutch War, in which England and France joined forces against the Netherlands, and this was ostensibly the reason for the building of the fort despite the Tyne not being under any real threat at the time. The fort may have, in practice, served as a base for more clandestine activities.

Wenceslaus Hollar made the map for Henry Cavendish, a high profile earl and politician who was the Governor of Newcastle and later became Duke of Newcastle. Cavendish was a Gentleman of the King’s Bedchamber, Member of the Privy Council and an associate of Lord Clifford. Thus he was linked with the “Cabal” of government ministers who circumvented Parliament on the King’s behalf, effectively comprising the government of the day, hence the map bears the royal coat of arms.

Hollar had 20 years earlier engraved the Ralph Gardiner Map, described here, so he already had a good knowledge of the intricacies of the river and its surrounding features. This picture-map is a wonderful demonstration of his cartographic and illustrative skill in characterising the strategic geography of the river mouth.

As well an enormous fleet amassed in the harbour, interestingly, the map contains an illustration of a (imaginary?) ship being blown to pieces, with the caption: “In this manner, the Water, Smoke, and peeces of the Ship appeard above after it was fired under.”

Points labelled in the key:

• Tinmouth Castle and Towne
• Clifford’ Fort
• y’ Low Light house
• y’ Upper Light house
• y’ New Church
• Chirton
• North Sheilds [sic]
• South Sheilds [sic]
• South Salt panns
• Cap’ Vicars wreck
• Grays wreck
• Tinmouth Barr
• y’ Hurd Sand
• y’ Pryer Stone
• Tinmouth high light house
• y’ Mussell Scalpe
• Blacke Midens
•  y’ Rock head
• y’ Spanish Works
  
• y’ Figures are Feet at Low Water