As well as viewing modern charts, produced by litho and digital means, the association was able to see engraved plates used to print the older charts.

Members went into the archive vaults to view the copper plates, including those which were used to produce charts for Captain Cook and William Damper.

Tim Honnor, chairman of BESA, said "We seem to have gone backwards in skills. The old engraved charts had such fine detail and were objects of beauty. They are just no comparison to today’s modern charts that are so banal looking".

During the visit, the group also visited the chart restoration department, where they were shown the chart that Captain James Cook made of the East Coast of Australia.

Previous BESA visits have been to the Bank of England, the British Library and Her Majesty the Queen’s Library at Windsor.