The Friends of Devon’s Archives gave a generous grant alongside the £17,691 given by the Friends of the National Libraries to support the purchase of a nationally important map of Kingsbridge by the South West Heritage Trust at Forum Auctions in November. The map, drawn partly as a plan and partly as a birds-eye-view, appears to have been executed in the late 16th Century for Sir John Petre, the Lord of the Manor, whose land called Norton is denoted on the far side of the mill stream. Sir John’s father, Sir William Petre served as the Secretary of State to Henry VIII, Edward VI and Mary I. The Petre family employed skilled draftsmen to create plans of their estate at Ingatestone, Essex. It seems likely that it was one of these draftsmen who devised this map. The map itself is painted on vellum in six colours and measures 410 by 485mm. Some notable features include the 13th century parish church, the market house and the pillory.