Gosport MP and culture minister Caroline Dinenage bans export of rare £600,000 drawings of Spanish Armada defeat

The MP, who is the culture minister, has prevented the maps leaving the UK, and hopes a UK gallery or institution will acquire the treasures depicting the greatest naval battle of the early modern period.

The drawings were completed by an unknown draughtsman, thought to be from the Netherlands, and are believed to be from the years immediately after the battle.

The defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588 has a totemic place in English history and has been cited at moments of national crisis including the threats of invasion from Napoleonic France and Nazi Germany.

The most famous images of the battle extant are a series of engravings completed in 1590 by Augustine Ryther. The original drawings have been lost and the maps at risk of export are a rare survivor.

Ms Dinenage said: ‘The defeat of the Spanish Armada is central to the historical tale of what makes Britain great.

‘It’s the story of plucky England defeating a greater foe and helped to create the world we live in. These incredibly rare drawings are a very important part of the story of our nation and I hope, even in these challenging times, that a buyer can be found so they can be enjoyed by members of the public for generations.’