1830 Chart of Lighthouses & Lightships
Zoomable version here. Also see Tizard for Thames Estuary.
1952 to 1970 Thames Estuary
Variants of 1934 chart. 1952 Admiralty Chart No 1975 Kentish Knock and the Naze to The Nore, Published 1934.jpg – Wikimedia Commons 1953 :Admiralty Chart No 1610 North Foreland to Orfordness, Published 1953.jpg – Wikimedia Commons 1970 Admiralty_Chart_No_1610_North_Foreland_to_Orfordness%2C_Published_1953.jpg
1966 Admiralty Chart No 2693 Approaches to Harwich
Full size on file.
1896 Concise Navigating Directions for the River Thames (Harwich Plate)
Geo-referenced Harwich area. The British Library, No restrictions, via Wikimedia Commons Other plates in series- Wikimedia Commons Available here with charts and sailing directions.
1675 Thames Estuary
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:A_draught_of_the_sands,_channels,_buoyes,_beacons_and_sea-marks_upon_the_coast_of_England-_from_the_Southforeland_to_Orfordness._Discovered_by_Capt._Gilbert_Crane,_and_Capt._Tho-_Browne,_Elder_Bretheren_of_ye_Trinity_House._RMG_F8058.tiff John Darby; Lamb, Francis; Seller, John, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Thames Estuary Charts to add
The river of Thames from London to the Buoy of the Noure Collins, Greenville (16..-1696 ?). Cartographe The Entrances of the River Thames ; The East coast of England from Folkstone to Hasborough Gat […]Steel, Penelope (17..-18.. ; éditeur). Fonction indéterminée A new and large chart… from the river of Thames to Orfordness and the South …
*Modern Local Charts and Pilots
Not online as most are still copyrighted. All these are on file.
1698 Greenvile Collins Thames Estuary
A large scale chart of Kent to Yarmouth. His other charts are more useful. Captain Greenvile Collins, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Available here.
1682 Thames Estuary John Thornton
Available here.
1949 Royal Cruising Club Local Rivers
1943/4 War Department Charts
These were originally in a ring bound set and are not much larger than A5 size. If there is one of the Deben it is elusive. These are from personal collection.
1815 Arrowsmith Suffolk and Essex
Shows land and sandbanks. High definition.
Windfarm Charts
Windfarm map and also see here
1539 Richard Cavendish charts at British Library
1539 Richard Cavendish chart of the coast of Essex and Suffolk at BL 1539 Mouths of the Thames and Medway from Ipswich to Sandwich and Maldon and Rochester to the Sea can best be view here and select overlay (much clearer, beware projection types).
1672 John Seller Atlas maritimus
See page 32 for Estuary. Other charts are of rest of World. Available here. Atlas maritimus, or A book of charts : Describeing the sea coasts capes headlands sands shoals rocks and dangers the bayes roads harbors rivers and ports, in most of the knowne parts of the world. With the true courses and distances, …
1700 John Thornton Atlas Maritimus – Sea Atlas of the World
Library of Congress incomplete – local below.
1773 French Chart of Thames
1773 French Chart of Thames from David Rumsey Collection. Shows Deben, note the orientation and Meridian. Clone of Sellers chart. Does not show buoys that were there at the time.
1782 Chandler East Coast
A Draugth of the East Coast of England from Dover to Yarmouth & the Different Channels of the River Thames up to Leigh Road [Material cartográfico] / by John Chandler
1790 Stanier Thames Estuary
1790 Stanier Thames Estuary on wikimedia has drawings of beacons and buoys as well as tidal data. A lovely chart.
1801 William Heather Chart
To the Right Honourable the Master, Wardens, & Elder Bretham of the Trinity House, this chart of the entrances to The River Thames
1798 A new chart of the coast between Orford Ness and Haisbrough
Features Easton Ness.
1584 A chart of the east coast of England – Richard Poulter
British Library Copyright but visible in low resolution here. Zoom only works with Flash! A good view of sandbanks but text is not readable. North up version below.
1730s River Thames from London to the Nore
Download here.
1556 Britannia insula quae duo regna …
Full size here.
1852 A new chart of the River Thames inc. Harwich
1852 A new chart of the River Thames. With its entrances, James Imray, Harwich by Washington.
1945 Kriegsmarine chart at nls
This is a 1907 British chart copied into German and updated until 1945. Clearly there has to be doubt regarding updates post 1939. 1945 Kriegsmarine chart at nls
1794 George Burns Thames Estuary
Note Pollard on Souhern sheet. A New Chart from the Nore to Orford Ness [Material cartográfico] : containing The Swin and King’s Channel with The Wallet Harwich Harbour and Horsley Bay to Aldborough Knapes and from The North Foreland : Comprehending The Five Fathom and South Channels…
+Sources for Charts, Maps and Images
Ordnance Survey Maps – National Library of Scotland Good source of historical OS and other maps at Vision of Britain British Library Maps and charts (rmg.co.uk) Foxearth Local History – local maps L Brown Collection – no re-use. David Rumsey Collection – excellent. Royal Collection Rijks Museum National Library of Spain OMNIA – Europe’s Culture …
1788 George Burns Harwich
Similar to, but later than, the Collins chart and sits nicely between it and Washington’s 1845 chart. See online for extracts. Shows the Brew House, Platters, Red Beard but not the Bawdsey beacon. Good marks.
1760 Carte de Cotes Meridionales d’Angleterre
French chart with excellent zoom facility. Presumably based on English charts and maps but gives a very interesting, combined view of the land and sea. The original is 205 x 159 cm so it needs to be viewed in sections. Longitude is in Leagues from the meridian of Paris. Unfortunately, the chart stops at Bawdsey …
1786 Thames Estuary Grosvenor
1596 Thresoor der zeevaert
Thresoor der zeevaert, inhoudende de geheele na… (uu.nl) page 179. All in Dutch.
1677 ‘Zee-atlas ofte waterwereld’ by Goos
‘Zee-atlas ofte waterwereld’ by Goos – Special Collections – Utrecht University (uu.nl) page 59 for Essex/Suffolk. These are not detailed charts as they cover a wide area. Note that Bawdsey is marked as “Basel”. According to Hussey, this was also the name given by the Dutch to the sea area between Bawdsey Bank and Felixstowe.
1907 Reynold’s new chart of the Thames estuary
1907 Reynold’s new chart of the Thames estuary… soundings in fathoms et low water spring tides
OpenSeaMap
1940 Harwich Haven, German WW2 chart
Note the boom at Shotley and netting from the breakwater. Also, the bombing range is buoyed.
1939 – 1945 World War Two Maps and Charts
From US National Archives: Target Dossiers Pertaining to the British Isles, 1938–1945 Suffolk set, Felixstowe more, Harwich also with Felixstowe, Ipswich, Orfordness. Essex set. Harwich. See also Kreigsmarine Chart and 1944 WD charts. Soviet Charts – seem to have disappeared.
Thames River
These items are for the London River rather than the Estuary. 1790 Bowles’s new map of the River Thames, from it’s spring in Gloucester-shire, to it’s influx into the sea : with a table of all the locks, wears, and bridges thereupon ; shewing the tolls payable at each and their distance by water from …
1845 Deben Survey
First detailed Survey – Tidal heights – Reach names – not a chart – Captain Stanley – HMS Blazer
1804 Graeme Spence Harwich Chart
See Graeme Spence
15C Hakluyt Sailing directions for the circumnavigation of England, and for a voyage to the straits of Gibraltar.
Deben map by Simon Read
OS Grid Ref Local
Harwich Haven Charts and Pilots
More Thames Estuary Charts and Pilots
See also Thames River Charts, Deben Entrance Charts and Pilots and Harwich Haven Charts and Pilots 1688/9 Halley’s Survey presented to the Royal Society but whereabouts not known. Results incorporated in his Channel Chart. See Halley 1903 East Coast Rivers by Meesum 1923 East Coast Rivers – on file 1933 File:Admiralty Chart No 1610 North …
1752 John Mount Thames Chart
Here at David Rumsey Collection.
1852 A new chart of the River Thames. With its entrances
Harwich inset by Captain Washington. 1852 A new chart of the River Thames. With its entrances David Rumsey Collection.
1736 Greenvile Collins Chart of part of coast of England
Available at David Rumsey Collection. Note Gunfleet, Walfleet, Easton Ness. also see 1683 Greenvile Collins chart of Harwich Haven – East Coast Curious