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Heron Island, Rydal Water
Heron Island
site name:-   Rydal Water
civil parish:-   Lakes (formerly Westmorland)
county:-   Cumbria
locality type:-   island
coordinates:-   NY35580623
1Km square:-   NY3506
10Km square:-   NY30

photograph
BPS14.jpg  The larger island is Heron Island, with a tiny rock beside it at this level of water.
(taken 7.10.2008)  
photograph
BPS15.jpg  There is a smaller island to the SW.
(taken 7.10.2008)  
evidence:-   old map:- OS County Series (Wmd 26 1) 
placename:-  Heron Island
source data:-   Maps, County Series maps of Great Britain, scales 6 and 25 inches to 1 mile, published by the Ordnance Survey, Southampton, Hampshire, from about 1863 to 1948.
evidence:-   probably old map:- Saxton 1579
source data:-   Map, hand coloured engraving, Westmorlandiae et Cumberlandiae Comitatus ie Westmorland and Cumberland, scale about 5 miles to 1 inch, by Christopher Saxton, London, engraved by Augustinus Ryther, 1576, published 1579-1645.
image
Sax9NY30.jpg
Lake and island. 
item:-  private collection : 2
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   probably old map:- Jansson 1646
source data:-   Map, hand coloured engraving, Cumbria and Westmoria, ie Cumberland and Westmorland, scale about 3.5 miles to 1 inch, by John Jansson, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 1646.
image
JAN3NY30.jpg
Island; assuming the lake is Rydal Water. 
item:-  JandMN : 88
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   probably old map:- Morden 1695 (Cmd) 
source data:-   Map, uncoloured engraving, Cumberland, scale about 4 miles to 1 inch, by Robert Morden, 1695, published by Abel Swale, the Unicorn, St Paul's Churchyard, Awnsham, and John Churchill, the Black Swan, Paternoster Row, London, 1695-1715.
image
MD12NY30.jpg
In Rydal Water. 
item:-  JandMN : 90
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   old map:- Morden 1695 (Wmd) 
source data:-   Map, hand coloured engraving, Westmorland, scale about 2.5 miles to 1 inch, by Robert Morden, published by Abel Swale, the Unicorn, St Paul's Churchyard, Awnsham, and John Churchill, the Black Swan, Paternoster Row, London, 1695.
image
MD10NY30.jpg
Island in Rydal Water. 
item:-  JandMN : 24
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   old text:- Clarke 1787
source data:-   Guide book, A Survey of the Lakes of Cumberland, Westmorland, and Lancashire, written and published by James Clarke, Penrith, Cumberland, and in London etc, 1787; published 1787-93.
image CL13P125, button  goto source
Page 125:-  "..."
"... the largest island is covered with wood, and has a small house upon it, ..."
evidence:-   old map:- Clarke 1787 map (Ambleside to Keswick) 
source data:-   Map, A Map of the Roads Lakes etc between Keswick and Ambleside, scale about 2.5 ins to 1 mile, by James Clarke, engraved by S J Neele, 352 Strand, published by James Clarke, Penrith, Cumberland and in London etc, 1787.
image
CL9NY30N.jpg
In Rydal Water. 
item:-  private collection : 10.9
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   old text:- Wordsworth 1810
source data:-   Guide book, A Description of the Scenery of the Lakes, later A Guide through the District of The Lakes, by William Wordsworth, 1810-35.
image WW01p120, button  goto source
page 120  "... and, far advanced as the season was, the trees on the larger Island of Rydal-mere retained a splendour which did not need the heightening of sunshine. We noticed, as we passed, that the line of the grey rocky shore of that island, shaggy with variegated bushes and shrubs, and spotted and striped with purplish brown heath, indistinguishably blending with its image reflected in the still water, produced a curious resemblance, both in form and colour, to a richly-coated caterpillar, as it might appear through a magnifying glass of extraordinary power. ..."
evidence:-   descriptive text:- Otley 1823 (5th edn 1834) 
item:-  heronry
source data:-   Guide book, A Concise Description of the English Lakes, the mountains in their vicinity, and the roads by which they may be visited, with remarks on the mineralogy and geology of the district, by Jonathan Otley, published by the author, Keswick, Cumberland now Cumbria, by J Richardson, London, and by Arthur Foster, Kirkby Lonsdale, Cumbria, 1823; published 1823-49, latterly as the Descriptive Guide to the English Lakes.
image OT01P109, button  goto source
Page 109:-  "... Rydal Water, with the heronry upon one of its islands; ..."
evidence:-   old text:- Martineau 1855
item:-  heronry
source data:-   Guide book, A Complete Guide to the English Lakes, by Harriet Martineau, published by John Garnett, Windermere, Westmorland, and by Whittaker and Co, London, 1855; published 1855-76.
image MNU1P053, button  goto source
Page 53:-  "... The islands are wooded; and on one of them is a heronry; and the grey bird, with its long flapping wings, is most likely visible, either in flight, or perched on a tree near its nest, or fishing in the shallows. ..."
evidence:-   perhaps old print:- Robertson 1911
source data:-   Print, lithograph? Rydal Water, from a watercolour by Arthur Tucker, published by Chatto and Windus, London, 1911.
image  click to enlarge
RSN140.jpg
Tipped in opposite p.266 of Wordsworthshire by Eric Robertson. 
Heron Island in the middle ground? 
printed at bottom:-  "RYDAL WATER"
signed at painting lower left:-  "Arthur Tucker"
item:-  JandMN : 197.44
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   old print:- Payn 1860s-70s
placename:-  Heron Island
source data:-   Print, colour printed, Heron Island, Rydal Water, Westmorland, published by John Garnett, Windermere, Westmorland, and by Simpkin, Marshall and Co, London, 1860s-70s?
image  click to enlarge
PN0106.jpg
Tipped in opposite p.24 of England's Lakeland, a Tour Therein, by James Payn. 
printed at bottom:-  "HERON ISLAND, RYDAL WATER."
item:-  Armitt Library : A1183.6
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   outline view:- Tattersall 1836 (version 1869) 
source data:-   Print, hand coloured, Rydal Water, from the South East, Westmorland, drawn by George Tattersall, 1836, engraved by W F Topham, published by T J Allman, 463 Oxford Street, London, 1869.
image  click to enlarge
TAT206.jpg
Included in The Lakes of England, by W F Topham. 
printed at bottom:-  "RYDAL WATER, / from the South East."
printed at bottom:-  "Loughrigg Fell. / Silver How. / Hammar Scarr. / Pt. of Helm Crag. / Rydal Head."
item:-  Armitt Library : A1067.6
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   outline view:- Tattersall 1836
source data:-   Print, engraving, Rydal Water, from the South East, Westmorland, drawn by George Tattersall, engraved by W F Topham, published by Sherwood and Co, Paternoster Row, London, about 1836.
image  click to enlarge
TAT111.jpg
The print is captioned with mountain names and acts as an outline view. 
Tipped in opposite p.44 of The Lakes of England, by George Tattersall. 
printed at bottom:-  "RYDAL WATER, / from the South East."
printed at bottom left to right:-  "Loughrigg Fell. / Silver How. / Hammar Scarr. / Pt. of Helm Crag. / Rydal Head."
item:-  Armitt Library : A1204.12
Image © see bottom of page
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