Portrait of William Daniell (unknown)
WILLIAM DANIELL'S
A VOYAGE ROUND GREAT BRITAIN 1814-1825
Born in Surrey in 1769 to a family of humble origins, William Daniell was effectively raised by his uncle, the landscape artist Thomas Daniell, who he was sent to live with after his father’s death in 1779. William learned his trade assisting his uncle, who he accompanied to India in 1784 to work on a series of prints documenting the subcontinent over the next sixteen years. This major work, Oriental Scenery, was published to great success upon their return to England.
In 1814, William Daniell set out on what was to be his greatest artistic work, A Voyage Round Great Britain. His plan was to record the people, places, towns and villages around Britain's coastline, providing both an artistic and written account.
‘…a delight, technically adventurous and so beautifully done.’
Financial Times
‘…Voyage Round Great Britain is the magnum opus of William Daniell RA.’
Country Life
Over the next decade, Daniell made six separate trips to eventually cover the entire coastline of Britain. On his travels, he made pencil sketches of interesting views including both people and scenery. The sketches were annotated with details of colour and textures for their eventual and painstaking transfer onto copper plates back in London, to be printed and coloured for publication.
Eleven years later, having travelled from Land's End to John O'Groats via the west coast and then back to Land's End via the east, his magnum opus was completed. A Voyage Round Great Britain was published over the period 1814 to 1825 in eight volumes.
The result was a collection of 308 aquatint engravings, providing a unique record of the entire coastline of England, Wales and Scotland, its ports and harbours, lighthouses, ships and mariners, in pre Industrial Revolution Britain, before photography and the railways were invented.
A Voyage Round Great Britain is unquestionably the most ambitious and accomplished example of the aquatint engraver's skills, and it is probably the most remarkable of the many superb topographical books produced in England during the early years of the 19th century. Unlike the majority of its rivals, all the engraving is autographic and everywhere Daniell's hand displays the most extraordinary virtuosity.
By a most remarkable piece of good fortune, the actual original aquatint printing plates survived and were acquired by the Tate Gallery Publications Department in the late seventies. Alecto Historical Editions was invited to take a limited number of impressions for the Tate and their Patrons and Friends in 1978.
At Tate Gallery’s request, the edition is printed in black and the extraordinary delicacy of Daniell’s work is fully displayed for the first time. As David Bland remarks in his History of Book Illustration, the aquatinting is so good that it depends very little on colour for its effect.
After proofing in the Alecto studios, just 100 impressions from each of Daniell’s original copper plates were taken for the published edition, which sold out.
A small selection of original prints from our exhibition sets is however still available for purchase.
Click for a LIST OF AVAILABLE PLATES
| Plate 1 | The Lands-end, Cornwall |
| Plate 2 | The long ships light house off the Lands End, Cornwall |
| Plate 3 | The entrance to Portreath, Cornwall |
| Plate 4 | Boscastle Pier on the coast of Cornwall |
| Plate 5 | Hartland Pier, North Devon |
| Plate 6 | Clovelly on the Coast of North Devon |
| Plate 7 | Ilfracombe on the coast of North Devon |
| Plate 8 | View of Ilfracombe from Hilsborough |
| Plate 9 | Near Combmartin, on the coast of North Devon |
| Plate 10 | Lynmouth on the coast of North Devon |
| Plate 11 | St Donats Glamorganshire |
| Plate 12 | Britton Ferry, Glamorganshire |
| Plate 13 | The Mumbles light-house, in Swansea Bay |
| Plate 14 | The Worms-head, in Tenby bay |
| Plate 15 | Tenby, Pembrokeshire |
| Plate 16 | The Eligug-stack, near St. Gowans-head, Pembrokeshire |
| Plate 17 | Solva, near St. Davids, Pembrokeshire |
| Plate 18 | View of the entrance to Fishguard, near Goodwych sands |
| Plate 19 | Goodwych Pier, near Fishguard, Pembrokeshire |
| Plate 20 | View near Aberystwith, Cardiganshire |
| Plate 21 | Barmouth, Merionethshire |
| Plate 22 | View of Caernarvon Castle, from Anglesea |
| Plate 23 | The Harbour light-house, Holyhead |
| Plate 24 | Light-house on the South Stack, Holyhead |
| Plate 25 | Part of the South Stack, Holyhead |
| Plate 26 | The Rope Bridge, near the Light-house, Holyhead |
| Plate 27 | Black Marble Quarry, near Red Wharf Bay, Anglesea |
| Plate 28 | The entrance to Amlwch harbour, Anglesea |
| Plate 29 | Red Wharf Bay, Anglesea |
| Plate 30 | Beaumaris Castle, Anglesea |
| Plate 31 | View of Puffin Island, near Anglesea |
| Plate 32 | The Bath, built by Lord Penryn, near Bangor, N. Wales |
| Plate 33 | Penman-maur, taken from near Aber, N. Wales |
| Plate 34 | View of Conway Castle, Caernarvonshire |
| Plate 35 | The Light-house on Point of Air, Flintshire |
| Plate 36 | View near Hoyle-lake, Cheshire |
| Plate 37 | The Towns-end Mill, Liverpool |
| Plate 38 | Seacombe Ferry, Liverpool |
| Plate 39 | Liverpool, taken from the opposite side of the river |
| Plate 40 | Lancaster Castle |
| Plate 41 | View near Lower Heysham, Lancashire |
| Plate 42 | Distant View of Whitbarrow Scar, Westmorland |
| Plate 43 | Castle-head, Westmorland |
| Plate 44 | Peel Castle, Lancashire |
| Plate 45 | Whitehaven, Cumberland |
| Plate 46 | Harrington, near Whitehaven, Cumberland |
| Plate 47 | Mary Port, Cumberland |
| Plate 48 | Carlaverock Castle, Dumfriesshire |
| Plate 49 | Kirkudbright |
| Plate 50 | The Mull of Galloway, Wigtonshire |
| Plate 51 | Port Patrick, Wigtonshire |
| Plate 52 | Cardness Castle, near Gatehouse, Kircudbrightshire |
| Plate 53 | Near Carsleith, Galloway |
| Plate 54 | Wigton, Galloway |
| Plate 55 | Cree-town, Kirkudbrightshire |
| Plate 57 | The Crag of Ailsa |
| Plate 58 | Culzean Castle, Ayrshire |
| Plate 59 | Distant View of Ayr |
| Plate 60 | Pier at Ardrossan, Ayrshire |
| Plate 61 | The Isle od Arran, taken near Ardrossan |
| Plate 62 | Ardgowan, Renfrewshire |
| Plate 63 | Greenock, on the Clyde |
| Plate 64 | Steam Boat on the Clyde near Dumbarton |
| Plate 65 | Mount Stuart, Isle of Bute |
| Plate 66 | Lock Ranza, Isle of Arran |
| Plate 67 | Duntrune Castle, Loch Creran, Argylshire |
| Plate 68 | Loch Swene, Argylshire |
| Plate 69 | Rassella, near Kilmartin, Loch Creran, Argylshire |
| Plate 70 | On the Isle of Jura |
| Plate 71 | Inverary Castle, Argylshire |
| Plate 72 | Dunolly Castle, near Oban, Argylshire |
| Plate 73 | Dunstaffnage Castle, Argylshire |
| Plate 74 | Clam-shell Cave, Staffa. Iona in the distance |
| Plate 75 | Exterior of Fingal's Cave, Staffa |
| Plate 76 | Entrance to Fingal's Cave, Staffa |
| Plate 77 | In Fingal's Cave, Staffa |
| Plate 78 | Staffa, near Fingal's Cave |
| Plate 79 | The Cormorants Cave, Staffa |
| Plate 80 | View from the Island of Staffa |
| Plate 81 | The Island of Staffa from the East. |
| Plate 82 | The Island of Staffa, from the South West |
| Plate 83 | View of Iona, from the N. East |
| Plate 84 | The Cathedral at Iona |
| Plate 85 | View of Ben-more from near Ulva house |
| Plate 86 | Remains of the Chapel & c on Inch Kenneth |
| Plate 87 | Gribune-head in Mull |
| Plate 88 | Loch-na-gael, near Knock on Mull |
| Plate 89 | Distant View of Cruachan-ben, taken near Arros bridge, Isle of Mull |
| Plate 90 | Arros Castle, Isle of Mull |
| Plate 91 | Tobermory, on the Isle of Mull |
| Plate 92 | Mingarry Castle, Argylshire |
| Plate 93 | Ardnamurchan point, Argylshire |
| Plate 94 | Scoor Eig on the Isle of Eig |
| Plate 95 | Part of the Isle of Rum |
| Plate 96 | Armidal, the Seat of Lord Macdonald, Isle of Skye |
| Plate 97 | lloransay, Isle of Skye |
| Plate 98 | Balmacarro-house, Loch-alsh, Rosshire |
| Plate 99 | Castle Ellen-Donan |
| Plate 100 | Loch-Duich, Ross-shire |
| Plate 101 | Ilan-dreoch, Glenbeg, Invernesshire |
| Plate 102 | The bay of Barrisdale in Loch Hourne |
| Plate 103 | Loch Hourne head |
| Plate 104 | Glen-coe taken near Ballachulish |
| Plate 105 | Near Kylakin, Skye |
| Plate 106 | Liveras, near Broadford, Skye |
| Plate 107 | Portree on the Isle of Skye |
| Plate 108 | Glenvargle bridge, near Portree, Skye |
| Plate 109 | Duntulm, Isle of Skye |
| Plate 110 | Dunrobin Castle from the N.E., Sutherlandshire |
| Plate 111 | Dunvegan Castle |
| Plate 112 | Little Brieshmeal, near Talisker, Skye |
| Plate 113 | Loch Scavig, Skye |
| Plate 114 | Loch Coruisq, near Loch Scavig |
| Plate 115 | The Coolin, taken from Loch Slapin |
| Plate 116 | From the Isle of Rassay, looking Westward |
| Plate 117 | Castle Broichin on the Isle of Rassay |
| Plate 118 | Rowadill in Harris |
| Plate 119 | Light House on the Isle of Scalpa, Harris |
| Plate 120 | Part of the Northern face of one of the Shiant Isles |
| Plate 121 | Near View of one of the Shiant Isles |
| Plate 122 | Stornaway, on the Isle of Lewis |
| Plate 123 | Remains of a Temple at Galston, Isle of Lewis |
| Plate 124 | Druidical Stone at Strather near Barvas, Isle of Lewis |
| Plate 125 | The Gair-loch, Ross-shire |
| Plate 126 | Gair-loch head, Ross-shire |
| Plate 127 | Green-stone rock, Loch Broom |
| Plate 128 | Pier at Tanera, Loch Broom |
| Plate 129 | Ben Sulveheim, from Loch Inver |
| Plate 130 | View of Cuniag, from Loch Inver |
| Plate 131 | Unapool in Kyies-cu Assynt |
| Plate 132 | Rispand Durness |
| Plate 133 | Entrance to the cave of Smowe |
| Plate 134 | Whiten-head, Loch Eribol |
| Plate 135 | Bay of Tongue |
| Plate 136 | Strath-naver, Sutherlandshire |
| Plate 137 | The Clett-rock, Holborn head |
| Plate 138 | Thurso, from near Holborn head |
| Plate 139 | Castle Sinclair, Thurso |
| Plate 140 | Castle Hill, near Thurso |
| Plate 141 | Moy Castle, Caithness |
| Plate 142 | The Ferry at Scarskerry, Caithness |
| Plate 143 | Near the Berry-head Hoy, Orkney |
| Plate 144 | The Snook Hoy, Orkney |
| Plate 145 | The Old Man of Hoy |
| Plate 146 | Stromness, Orkney |
| Plate 147 | Stones of Stennis, Orkney |
| Plate 148 | The Cathedral of St. Magnus, Kirkwall, Orkney |
| Plate 149 | S.E. View of the Cathedral & Palace at Kirkwall, Orkney |
| Plate 150 | Kirkwall, Orkney, from the Bay |
| Plate 151 | N. West View of the Cathedral, Kirkwall |
| Plate 152 | Tower of the Bishops Palace, Kirkwall |
| Plate 153 | Remains of the Earls Palace, Kirkwall |
| Plate 154 | Light House on the Start, Isle of Sandy, Orkney |
| Plate 155 | John o' Groats, Caithness |
| Plate 156 | Duncansby stacks, Caithness |
| Plate 157 | Keiss Castle, Caithness |
| Plate 158 | Ackergill Tower-Caithness |
| Plate 159 | Castles Sinclair & Girnigo, Caithness |
| Plate 160 | Wick, Caithness |
| Plate 161 | Old Wick Castle, Caithness |
| Plate 162 | The Stack at Hempriggs, Caithness |
| Plate 163 | Scene at Hempriggs, Caithness |
| Plate 164 | Forse Castle, Sutherland |
| Plate 165 | Dunbeath Castle, Caithness |
| Plate 166 | Berrydale, Caithness |
| Plate 167 | Castle of Berrydale |
| Plate 168 | Helmsdale Sutherlandshire |
| Plate 169 | Dunrobin Castle, Sutherlandshire |
| Plate 170 | Dunrobin Castle, from the N.E., Sutherlandshire |
| Plate 171 | Dornoch, Sutherlandshire |
| Plate 172 | Bonar Bridge |
| Plate 173 | Cromarty |
| Plate 174 | Pier at Fortrose, Ross-shire |
| Plate 175 | Inverness |
| Plate 176 | Nairn |
| Plate 177 | Obelisk at Forres |
| Plate 178 | Nelson's Tower, Forres |
| Plate 179 | Brugh-head, Murrayshire |
| Plate 180 | Coxtown Tower, near Elgin |
| Plate 181 | Finlater Castle, Banffshire |
| Plate 182 | Boyne Castle, Banffshire |
| Plate 183 | Duff House, Banff |
| Plate 184 | Banff |
| Plate 185 | Frazerburgh, Aberdeenshire |
| Plate 186 | Kinnaird Head, Aberdeenshire |
| Plate 187 | Peterhead, Aberdeenshire |
| Plate 188 | Slanes Castle, Aberdeenshire |
| Plate 189 | Bridge of Old Don, Old Aberdeen |
| Plate 190 | Aberdeen |
| Plate 191 | Dunotter Castle, Kincardinshire |
| Plate 192 | Montrose, Forfarshire |
| Plate 193 | Inverbernie Bridge |
| Plate 194 | Broughty Castle, Forfarshire |
| Plate 195 | Dundee, Forfarshire |
| Plate 196 | St, Andrews, Fifeshire |
| Plate 197 | Wemys Castle, Fifeshire |
| Plate 198 | Distant View of Edinburgh, with Wemys Castle |
| Plate 199 | Edinburgh from the Castle |
| Plate 200 | Edinburgh with part of the North Bridge & Castle |
| Plate 201 | Edinburgh from Calton Hill |
| Plate 202 | Leith |
| Plate 203 | Tantallon Castle, Haddingtonshire |
| Plate 204 | The Bass Rock |
| Plate 205 | Dunbar, Haddingtonshire |
| Plate 206 | Berwick upon Tweed |
| Plate 207 | Castle on Holy Island, Northumberland |
| Plate 208 | Bamborough Castle, Northumberland |
| Plate 209 | North Shields, Northumberland |
| Plate 210 | Tynemouth, Northumberland |
| Plate 211 | Sunderland Pier, Durham |
| Plate 212 | Whitby, Yorkshire |
| Plate 213 | Whitby Abbey, Yorkshire |
| Plate 214 | Scarborough, Yorkshire |
| Plate 215 | Light-house on Flamboro' Head, Yorks |
| Plate 217 | Boston, Lincolnshire |
| Plate 218 | Yarmouth from Gorlstone |
| Plate 219 | Lowestoft, Suffolk |
| Plate 220 | Southwold, Suffolk |
| Plate 221 | The Orford Ness Light houses, Suffolk |
| Plate 222 | Harwich, Essex |
| Plate 223 | Mistley, near Harwich, Essex |
| Plate 224 | South End, Essex |
| Plate 225 | Sheerness |
| Plate 226 | The Reculvers |
| Plate 227 | Pier at Margate |
| Plate 228 | North Foreland Light House |
| Plate 229 | Broadstairs |
| Plate 230 | Ramsgate |
| Plate 231 | Deal Castle |
| Plate 232 | Walmer Castle |
| Plate 233 | Dover Castle |
| Plate 234 | Dover from Shakespears Cliff |
| Plate 235 | Shakespears Cliff |
| Plate 236 | Folkstone, Kent |
| Plate 237 | Hythe |
| Plate 238 | Dungeness Light House |
| Plate 239 | Rye, Sussex |
| Plate 240 | Winchelsea |
| Plate 241 | Hastings from near the White Rock |
| Plate 242 | Hastings from the East Cliff |
| Plate 243 | Near Beachy-head |
| Plate 244 | Brighton |
| Plate 245 | Near Regents Square, Brighton |
| Plate 246 | Ovington near Brighton |
| Plate 247 | Shoreham |
| Plate 248 | Pier at Littlehampton |
| Plate 249 | View from the Park, Arundel |
| Plate 250 | Bognor |
| Plate 251 | View from Portsdown Hill |
| Plate 252 | West Cowes |
| Plate 253 | Lord Henry Seymour's Castle |
| Plate 254 | Mr. Nash's Castle |
| Plate 255 | Ryde |
| Plate 256 | Brading Harbour |
| Plate 257 | Shanklin Chine |
| Plate 258 | Freshwater Bay, Isle of Wight |
| Plate 259 | Needles Cliff & Needles, Isle of Wight |
| Plate 260 | Distant View of the Needles & Hurst Castle |
| Plate 261 | Christchurch |
| Plate 262 | Poole Harbour |
| Plate 263 | Corfe Castle |
| Plate 264 | Swanage |
| Plate 265 | Lulworth Cove |
| Plate 266 | Weymouth |
| Plate 267 | Light-house, Isle of Portland |
| Plate 268 | St. Catherine's Chapel, Dorset |
| Plate 269 | Bridport Harbour, Dorset |
| Plate 270 | Lyme Regis, from Charmouth, Dorset |
| Plate 271 | Sidmouth, Devon |
| Plate 272 | Exmouth, Devon |
| Plate 273 | Teignmouth, Devon |
| Plate 274 | Babicombe, Devon |
| Plate 275 | Torbay, Devon |
| Plate 276 | Tor-abbey, Devon |
| Plate 277 | Tor-quay, Devon |
| Plate 278 | Brixham, Torbay, Devon |
| Plate 279 | Entrance to Dartmouth, Devon |
| Plate 280 | The Junction of the Dart with the Sea |
| Plate 281 | Near Kingswear, on the Dart, Devon |
| Plate 282 | Kingswear, Devon |
| Plate 283 | Salcombe, Devon |
| Plate 284 | Bovisand, near Plymouth |
| Plate 285 | Quay at Straddon point, near Plymouth |
| Plate 286 | The Citadel, Plymouth |
| Plate 287 | Catwater, Plymouth, from the Citadel |
| Plate 288 | Mount Edgecumbe from the Citadel, Plymouth |
| Plate 289 | View from Mount Edgecumbe |
| Plate 290 | Mamoaze from Mount Edgecumbe |
| Plate 291 | Port Wrinkle, Cornwall |
| Plate 292 | East Looe, Cornwall |
| Plate 293 | Polperro, Cornwall |
| Plate 294 | Fowey from Bodenick, Cornwall |
| Plate 295 | Fowey Castle, Cornwall |
| Plate 296 | Polkerris, Cornwall |
| Plate 297 | Mevagissy, Cornwall |
| Plate 298 | Mevagissy, Cornwall |
| Plate 299 | Gorran Haven, Cornwall |
| Plate 300 | Port-looe, Cornwall |
| Plate 301 | Falmouth, Cornwall |
| Plate 302 | The Lizard Light-houses, Cornwall |
| Plate 303 | Mullyan Cove, Cornwall |
| Plate 304 | Near Mullyan Cove, Cornwall |
| Plate 305 | St. Michaels Mount, Cornwall |
| Plate 306 | St. Michaels Mount, Cornwall. |
| Plate 307 | Penzance, Cornwall |
| Plate 308 | The Land's end, Cornwall |
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