Relhan Collection : 135 Cambridge. Map of, showing course of the King’s Ditch with the positions of Trumpington Gate and Barnwell Gate

Relhan, Richard, 1782-1844

Relhan Collection

<p style='text-align: justify;'><p>Sketch by unknown hand</p><p>This sketch map is said to be an insertion from Lysons’ <i>Magna Britannia</i> 1808, but that is a quite different and conventionally well-drawn map for the whole historic town. This insertion is a simple colour-tinted sketch showing the course of the King’s Ditch, probably the Late Saxon and certainly the medieval boundary of Cambridge. This, apart from a little development along roads leaving the town, remained the town limits until well after Enclosure Awards (West Fields (St Giles) 1802-1805 and East (Barnwell) Fields 1807-1811) permitted growth. The only other features shown are King’s College Chapel, Christ’s College and the Botanic Gardens. However the King’s Ditch is clearly shown in Lysons’ map and it would appear that the creator of Relhan’s map has traced it from Lysons. This is not an attempt to draw a map of medieval Cambridge, just to show an important archaeological feature. The sketch belongs to a group of four of an archaeological character, numbered in the top right corner I – IV, which as now arranged are numbers <b>76</b> (I), <b>71</b>(II), <b>135</b> (III, this item) and <b>75</b> (IV). </p></p>