The Civic Society recently applied for and was successful in obtaining a Small Fund Grant from the Northeast Civic Trust. The money will be used to create a new display for the Main Guard by purchasing copies of a rare Elizabethan map from the British Library, which shows the town as a bird’s eye view as it was circa 1580. This map is extremely accurate and detailed for the period and not only shows the fortifications in detail but also the streets and houses with the gardens delineated and one can even identify the type of roofing used (slate, thatch. tile etc.) In addition, a panel with recently researched material relating to the taxes paid by citizens of the time will be tagged to different types of houses shown on the map.
