1783 Taylor & Skinner Clogher, Augher, Ballygawley, Aughnacloy, Tyrone Ireland Road Map
Published in 1783, this antique road map is Map 35 from the second revised edition of Taylor & Skinner’s Maps of the Roads of Ireland, surveyed in 1777 and corrected down to 1783. The engraving records the historic road network through Clogher, Augher, Ballygawley and Aughnacloy in County Tyrone, forming part of the long route towards Londonderry and Letterkenny.
The original heading, “To L. DERRY & Letterkenny,” identifies the wider journey continued on this sheet. Rather than showing the final destinations themselves, the engraving follows the important inland road through a succession of County Tyrone settlements and junctions.
Clogher is prominently shown as a substantial road junction, with several routes converging around the town. Nearby properties include Corick, Ballymagowan and Castle Hill, while connecting roads lead through the surrounding countryside towards neighbouring towns and estates.
Immediately beyond Clogher, Augher appears beside the principal road and nearby waterways. The two settlements are closely linked on the engraving, with local roads branching through a landscape of country houses, small lakes and estates.
The road then continues through a richly detailed section of the Tyrone countryside. Port Pleasant and Favour Royal are prominently marked, together with Lismore and other residences positioned beside the River Tyrone and its surrounding roads.
Ballygawley forms another major junction. Roads towards Dungannon and Pomeroy are clearly identified, while nearby estates and residences include Richmond and other contemporary properties. The network shown around the town demonstrates its importance as a regional crossroads in the late 18th century.
North of Ballygawley, the engraving records Ballynasaggart Church and additional roads through the surrounding hills, while the upper portion of the sheet includes Newtown Saville, Saville Lodge and other named properties.
The route continues through Aughnacloy, another important junction on the historic road network. Roads towards Dungannon and Armagh are marked, while the Blackwater River runs nearby and forms a prominent natural feature in this part of the engraving.
Errigill Church appears beside the road beyond Aughnacloy, followed by Fort Singleton and the estate of Anketell’s Grove as the route continues through the countryside.
The combination of Clogher, Augher, Ballygawley and Aughnacloy makes this map an especially useful record of historic travel through County Tyrone and of the inland route leading towards Londonderry and Letterkenny during the late 18th century.
As throughout Taylor & Skinner’s survey, numerous named estates, country houses, churches, rivers and contemporary landowners appear beside the roads, giving the engraving additional interest for Irish local history, genealogy and family-history research.
Identified as Map 35 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.