This month we take a look at a well-loved 17th century Devon building, the Butterwalk in Dartmouth, depicted by noted Victorian architect and topographical illustrator, Thomas Allom. Published in 1830, it was engraved by F.J. Havill.

About the artwork

This small engraving was created from an illustration by Thomas Allom in 1830. It forms part of a series of engravings especially produced for an illustrated travel guide entitled, Devonshire & Cornwall Illustrated (London: Fisher & Co, 1830-1832). You can peruse the whole book here.

Many will be familiar with the instantly-recognisable subject of the work, which is the 17th century Butterwalk in Dartmouth, although the work is simply titled, Dartmouth.

In the background, sails of ships on the river dart are raised, indicating the nautical heritage of the location. In the foreground, on the cobbled street, people get on with their daily lives; work, gossip, shopping.

The writers of the Devonshire & Cornwall Illustrated in 1830 did not appear to be hugely impressed by Dartmouth - an interesting comparison to what is today regarded as a uniquely beautiful town, attracting many tourists. They wrote:

Thomas Allom was known for his topographical illustrations - in other words, illustrations which attempt to realistically portray a landscape, rather than a work of imagination. However, there are some differences between the architectural details in the engraving, and the Butterwalk as you see it today. This could be because the engraver has taken some artistic licence when converting what might have been a sketch by Allom into the final engraving, or more likely that the building has undergone alterations since 1830. (Indeed it is known that the building was damaged by bombing in World War 2, and was the subject of a major renovation in the 1950s, which could explain the differences.)

Below is an image of the Butterwalk as it is today:

What is the Butterwalk in Dartmouth?

The Butterwalk is a row of four merchants' houses and shops, in the form of an arcade, which was commissioned and built in the first half of the 17th century. It was damaged during World War 2 in 1943, but renovated in the 1950s. It features some of Devon's finest 17th century decorative plasterwork and one part of it now houses Dartmouth Museum.

About the artists

Frederick James Havill/Havell (1801–1839)

This print of Dartmouth was engraved on steel by Frederick James Havill (sometimes spelt Havell). The skill and contribution of engravers to printed illustrations should not be forgotten.

Havill was a specialist in steel and mezzotint engraving, and interestingly, was one of the earliest experimenters with the photographic process.

Unfortunately he suffered from mental illness and he died in 1839 at the age of only 38. It is suspected that he may have suffered from the effects of prolonged contact with vapours from mercury, which was used in his photographic experimentation.

He was buried in the churchyard of St James, Euston, London and his grave was excavated as part of the archaeological investigations undertaken during preparations for the HS2 railway.

Acknowledgements

Hathi Digital Archive: https://www.hathitrust.org/
Wikipedia