Sussex 1645

Name: Sussex 1645
Brand: The Old Map Company
SKU: MAP-ID-3359

Price range: £35.55 through £59.95

Map of Sussex engraved and published by Joan Blaeu Circa 1645

Step back into the 17th century with this magnificent reproduction of Joan Blaeu’s 1645 map of Sussex, originally published in his landmark atlas, Theatrum Orbis Terrarum. Renowned for its exquisite aesthetic balance, clean calligraphy, and detailed coastal mapping, this document provides an incomparable historical window into the maritime and agrarian life of the southern shire during the Stuart era. Every element of the historic county has been meticulously preserved from the original hand-coloured engraving, showcasing the unique administrative rapes, historic cross-channel ports, and the sweeping chalk ridge of the South Downs.

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A stunning certified FINE ART PRINT on heavy textured art paper — not a poster

Direct from the publisher — no middlemen
Printed in-house in Cornwall
Free UK delivery — international shipping available
Produced to meet — and often exceed — museum-quality standards

Size

Clear

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small 19.5″ x 14″ medium 24" x 18" large 31" x 24"

Fine Art Map Reproductions – Museum-Quality Printing

Unlike most online offerings, our maps are produced entirely in-house, not outsourced to print-on-demand or drop-shipping services. This allows complete control over quality while offering better value. Each map begins with a high-resolution original, carefully enhanced and printed to order using archival papers and pigment inks for exceptional clarity, depth, and longevity. Every piece is personally overseen — no map leaves our workshop unless it is of a quality we would be proud to display ourselves.

Authentic Old Map Paper & Accurate Colour Reproduction

Paper choice is essential to the authenticity of our maps. We use specially sourced 190gsm paper made in the UK from pure materials and traditionally pressed with natural woollen felts. This process creates a subtle, randomly textured surface that closely resembles an original antique document. Likewise the use of premium quality ink fully saturates the paper, producing remarkable clarity, depth, and historical character. Colour fastness and sharpness will remain good for in excess of 100 years!

Buy Old Maps Online in the UK Today Trading online since 1999

The Old Map Company of Great Britain offers a vast and carefully curated collection of the very finest expertly reproduced vintage maps. Our range includes works by renowned cartographers such as John Speed and Willem Blaeu, covering Scotland, England, and beyond. Free UK courier delivery is included, with EU, USA, and worldwide shipping available at cost and calculated at checkout. If you need assistance, our team is always happy to help you choose the perfect map.

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The Maritime Shire of Sussex in the Golden Age of Dutch Cartography

This magnificent 1645 map of Sussex stands as an extraordinary monument to the golden age of European cartography, created during a period of fierce commercial and intellectual competition between the elite printing houses of Amsterdam. Engraved and published by Joan Blaeu for his legendary Atlas Novus, this document represents the absolute pinnacle of copperplate engraving and luxury publishing. While England was internally fractured by the operational chaos and strategic repositioning of the First English Civil War, continental masters like Blaeu were gathering, refining, and printing highly sophisticated records of the British landscape. These premium maps were far more than simple geographic guides; they were high-status luxury assets commissioned for the private libraries of European monarchs, merchant princes, and the landed gentry who collected fine art as a symbol of authority.

Blaeu’s depiction of Sussex brilliantly captures the long, coastal topography that defines this historic southern county. Stretching from the rugged, iron-rich forests of the northern Weald to the iconic white chalk cliffs of the English Channel coastline, the county’s physical layout is presented with breathtaking clarity. By utilizing advanced copperplate techniques, Blaeu’s studio achieved a precision of linework and depth of visual contrast that allowed for an immense density of local nomenclature without cluttering the canvas. Every individual church spire, gated manor estate, windmill, and traditional river valley is rendered with its own geographic dignity, preserving a pristine historical record of a Jacobean landscape operating on the absolute cusp of modern maritime and industrial expansion.

The Unique Administrative Rapes and the Historic Wealden Interior

A defining feature of Blaeu’s Sussex survey is its careful tracking of the county’s highly unusual medieval administrative divisions, known uniquely as the Rapes. Unlike standard English shires divided simply into hundreds, Sussex was split into six distinct vertical strips—Chichester, Arundel, Bramber, Lewes, Pevensey, and Hastings—each running from the northern border down to the sea, and each controlled historically by a powerful Norman lord. The map records these boundaries with great care, allowing modern viewers to understand how the county’s defensive and judicial systems were organized centuries ago.

In the northern interior, the map documents the vast, dense landscape of the Weald. During the mid-17th century, this region was a critical industrial engine for England, serving as the heartland of the traditional British ironworking industry. The map captures the valleys where ancient oak forests were harvested for charcoal to fuel the blast furnaces that cast cannons, anchors, and architectural ironwork for the kingdom. Shoppers searching for ancestral roots will find immense satisfaction in identifying the historic market towns and boroughs of the interior, including Horsham, Midhurst, East Grinstead, and Petworth. The spelling variations used by Blaeu’s Dutch engravers offer a fascinating blend of local phonetic pronunciations and classical Latin cartographic style, turning the exploration of smaller hamlets into a rewarding journey of historical deduction.

Coastal Ports, Cross-Channel Havens, and Maritime Commerce

Given its expansive frontage along the English Channel, the maritime infrastructure of Sussex receives magnificent emphasis on this print. Blaeu’s studio decorated the southern waters with elegant wave graphics, traditional deep-sea galleons, and allegorical sea monsters to symbolize the county’s deep reliance on seafaring commerce, cross-channel trade, and coastal defense. The intricate lines of the coast track the vital havens and river mouths that shaped southern English maritime warfare and trade.

The map details the strategic importance of Chichester, with its soaring cathedral spire serving as an essential landmark for sailors navigating the complex channels of Chichester Harbour. Moving eastward, the historic strongholds of Arundel Castle and Lewes Castle are prominently marked, sitting as defensive guardians over the River Arun and the River Ouse. The ancient Cinque Ports and their corporate members—including Hastings, Rye, Winchelsea, and Seaford—are recorded during an era when their natural harbours were battling severe coastal siltation but still maintained their ancient naval privileges. The dangerous, exposed anchorages of Brighthelmstone (modern Brighton), Worthing, and Eastbourne are mapped in their early forms as modest fishing communities, long before the late Georgian era transformed them into fashionable resort towns.

The Artistic Anatomy and Heraldic Splendour of the Blaeu Studio

What completely elevates this Joan Blaeu print from a regional geographic survey into a stunning work of gallery art is the magnificent arrangement of decorative and heraldic elements that frame the map. The upper portion of the canvas is adorned with beautifully rendered, high-contrast heraldic crests representing the premium noble titles connected directly to the land. The royal arms of the House of Stuart sit proudly at the top, balanced by the exquisite armorial shields of the historic Earldoms of Sussex and the local aristocratic dynasties. These armorial features were meticulously researched by the Amsterdam workshop to ensure absolute accuracy, serving as both a mark of historical validation and a brilliant marketing masterstroke to secure wealthy British patronage.

The lower margins are anchored by a highly sophisticated neoclassical title cartouche. This architectural frame is flanked by beautifully drawn figures that personify the rural wealth, agrarian success, and maritime heritage of the Sussex people. Shepherds tending to premium livestock along the South Downs stand alongside symbols of coastal trade, visually celebrating the economic balance of the county. The scale of miles is nestled within its own dedicated plinth, complete with playful cherubs utilizing brass dividers and surveying chains to ground the artwork in the scientific precision of the age. By keeping all text elements separate from the background graphic layer, this print retains its status as a clean, searchable historical document while delivering the deep visual contrast of a traditional copperplate impression.

Sussex 1645

SELECT SIZE

Fine Art Map Reproductions – Museum-Quality Printing

Authentic Old Map Paper & Accurate Colour Reproduction

Buy Old Maps Online in the UK Today Trading online since 1999

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