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1783 Taylor & Skinner Newry, Rathfriland, Narrow Water and Jonesborough Ireland Road Map
This hand-coloured antique Irish road map, published in 1783, is Map 7 from the second revised edition of Taylor & Skinner’s Maps of the Roads of Ireland. Surveyed in 1777 and corrected down to 1783, it shows the historic road network around Newry, Rathfriland, Narrow Water and Jonesborough, together with routes connecting Castlewellan, Downpatrick, Strangford and surrounding areas.
The engraving combines detailed roads, mileage information, waterways, estates and local landmarks, providing a fascinating record of travel and settlement in late-18th-century Ireland. Its original heading, “From Dublin to Strangford by Narrow Water & by Newry,” records the alternative routes available through this part of the country.
Detailed mileage tables compare the stages travelled by way of Narrow Water and Newry, adding valuable historical context to the road network shown on the map.
Newry is prominently shown as an important junction, with roads towards Armagh, Castleblayney and Belfast, together with the canal and surrounding waterways. The route also connects with Jonesborough, which appears near the edge of the engraved sheet.
Around Narrow Water, the engraving shows the road beside the waterway, together with Narrow Water Hall, nearby estates and the connecting road towards Rostrevor. The inscription “Enter Down Co.” marks the entry into County Down and provides a useful historical county reference.
Another section of the route passes Eight Mile Bridge and continues towards Rathfriland, where several roads meet, including the road towards Dromore. Nearby estates, churches, rivers, hills and individual properties are carefully recorded throughout the surrounding countryside.
The mileage tables also identify onward routes towards Castlewellan, Clough, Downpatrick and Strangford, with additional branches towards Dundrum and Killough, illustrating the wider network connected with the roads shown on Map 7.
As throughout Taylor & Skinner’s survey, numerous named estates, country houses and contemporary landowners appear beside the routes, giving the engraving additional interest for Irish local history, genealogy and family-history research.
The combination of Newry, Rathfriland, Narrow Water and the clearly marked County Down entry point makes this sheet an especially interesting record of the historic road network in this part of Ireland during the late 18th century.
Identified as Map 7 in Taylor & Skinner’s Maps of the Roads of Ireland, it forms part of their extensive late-18th-century survey of Ireland’s principal roads.
The source map was genuinely printed in 1783 and comes from the second edition of Taylor & Skinner’s Maps of the Roads of Ireland.
The work was originally surveyed in 1777, first published in 1778, and corrected and revised for this second edition in 1783.
Each antique map has been individually hand-coloured in watercolour by Jenny, then carefully digitised, cleaned, restored and colour-corrected to create a high-resolution printable artwork while preserving the fine engraved detail and historic character of the original map.
Natural variations in the antique paper, engraved lines, printing and other small signs of age are part of the character of the original 1783 map.
This product is a digital-only high-resolution reproduction of an original antique Taylor & Skinner road map of Ireland.
No physical map, print or framed artwork will be shipped.
The supplied JPG file is intended for you to download and print yourself or through a professional printing service.
You will receive:
1 high-resolution JPG fileDimensions: 6600 × 11,250 pixelsResolution: 300 DPIMaximum full-page print size: approximately 22 × 37.5 inchesOrientation: Portrait
The original antique map layout has been retained. Because these maps do not conform to a modern standard aspect ratio, the file is suitable for custom-size printing and framing.
It may also be displayed in a different-ratio frame by using a mat, cropping carefully, or allowing additional margins as required.
The downloadable image shows the complete antique map layout, including the engraved road map, original map margins, natural paper texture and historic age character.
The engraved map occupies part of the complete antique page and will therefore print smaller than the full stated page size.
Please examine the product images and enlarged details carefully before purchasing.
You may print the complete map as shown, display it in a different-ratio frame using a mat, or crop it carefully to suit your chosen frame.
For the best results, we recommend using a professional printing service or a good-quality home printer with heavyweight matte, archival matte or fine-art paper.
Colours may vary slightly depending on your monitor, printer, ink and chosen paper.
Frames, mats and decorative objects shown in the product images are for display purposes only and are not included.
This is a digital download only.
No physical product will be shipped or mailed.
This artwork was created from a genuine antique Taylor & Skinner road map printed in 1783 for the second edition of Maps of the Roads of Ireland.
The original engraving has been individually hand-coloured in watercolour by Jenny, then digitised, restored and prepared for high-resolution printing.
No generative AI was used to create the map artwork.
The downloadable file is supplied as a JPG and may be printed for your own personal use.
This digital file is for personal use only.
Copyright in the supplied hand-coloured digital edition — including Jenny’s original watercolour colouring, digital photography or scanning, restoration, colour correction and file preparation — is owned by The Old Map Shop.
The underlying 1783 historical engraving is out of copyright, but this newly hand-coloured and digitally prepared reproduction may not be resold, redistributed, shared or made available online.
Printed or digital copies may not be sold or used commercially without prior written permission.
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