Sheldon Tapestry Map, Gloucestershire

This map forms part of a series of four large tapestry maps commissioned by Ralph Sheldon for the family home in Weston Warwickshire. Three of the original four are now owned by the Bodleian Library. They form a unique representation of the landscape of the midland counties of England at a period when cartography was still in its infancy. Hyckes was later to create tapestries for the Queen, which suggests that the Sheldon tapestries set a fashion that then became very popular in elite circles in England. This work was acquired with assistance from the Wolfson Foundation.