Launceston, Cornwall
This drawing of the area around Launceston in Cornwall displays several of the,characteristic techniques,of draughtsman, Robert Dawson (1771-1860).,He used dense colour washes and short, hatched lines pointing in the direction of slopes ('hachures') to,represent relief,,combining them,with numerical estimates of relative altitude.,Magnetic north is decoratively indicated just off the coast at Tintagell Castle, the legendary birthplace of King Arthur, to the central left of the picture.,Launceston Castle is,shown at the most easterly point of the smaller inland landmass.,Slate quarries are marked at Delaboule, in the centre of the left landmass, and Tresmarrow, in the centre of the right.,Pencil lines are clearly visible, recording the,angles between fixed points used for triangulation.,The paper carries an Edmeads,,amp; Pine watermark.
Dawson, Robert
Launceston, Cornwall 1
Once the capital of Cornwall, Launceston is represented here by red blocks, each indicating a stone building., The castle dates from Norman times and was one of the greatest strongholds of the Earls of Cornwall, controlling the main entry route into the county., The road leading to Trevadlack Cross is physically,marked on the map,by a series of pin-holes., This means the draughtsman used measuring dividers to plot the exact course of the road., Recording archaeological sites did not become obligatory until 1816, but,many draughtsmen included them before then,out of personal interest., Here,,a set of concentric circles at the top of the map represents such a site, called,'Giant's Grave'.,
Hewitt, John