J.M.W. Turner: Sketchbooks, Drawings and Watercolours

This is the left half of a double-page spread, continued to the right on folio 1 recto (D11596) opposite, forming a sketch map of north-west and central Yorkshire. On this portion of the map Turner has noted ‘Kirby Stephen’, ‘Worton Park’ (Wharton Hall), ‘Pendragon Castle’, ‘Haws’ (Hawes), ‘?Thorn’ (somewhere south-east of Hawes, possibly Yokenthwaite in Upper Wharfedale) and ‘Muker’ south-east of Pendragon Castle and, below that, ‘Askrigg’ continuing across the gutter of the book to folio 1 (D11596). Turner has also noted what may be distances in miles; in ink ‘8 +’ to right of the map, and in pencil ‘16’ bottom right. A further table, probably also of mileages, is written in pencil at top left:

            4
          27
          23
          17

A further inscription at top right reads ‘Draw | H | M’.

Turner passed through Upper Wharfedale, Wensleydale and the lower part of Swaledale on his tour of Yorkshire in 1816. Sketches of subjects in those areas occur in the Yorkshire 2, Yorkshire 4 and Yorkshire 5 sketchbooks (Tate D11042–D11371; D40844–D40845; D41443; Turner Bequest CXLV; Tate D11442–D11479; D11481–D11517; D40839–D40843; D41497; Turner Bequest CXLVII; Tate D11518–D11595; D40860–D40862; Turner Bequest CXLVIII). On that occasion he did not, however, visit the Upper Eden Valley or Upper Swaledale, both of which are marked on this map, and indeed there is no evidence that he ever visited those areas. We might surmise that the sketch map was made as preparation for the tour of 1816, but that in the event he changed his plans.