This sketchbook contains several drawings made at or near Tabley, including sketches of a picture gallery, probably that at Tabley, with notes and diagrams relating to Turner's own remodelled gallery in Harley Street, eventually opened in 1820.

A series of pencil sketches of London, centring on Waterloo Bridge and Somerset House (ff.72-8), are close in spirit and composition to the series in the so-called 'Scotland and Venice' sketchbook of 1818 (T.B.CLXX; No.203) which also contains material relating to Turner's visit to Scotland in that year. Waterloo Bridge was opened in 1817. A further group of views on the Thames, showing the old Custom House and the church of St Magnus at London Bridge, cv ff.39-41, are also closely paralleled in CLXX (esp. f.41r which is the same general view as CLXX f.10r). Since the Tabley drawings in this sketchbook include studies for the paintings shown at the R.A. in 1809 (Nos.150 and 151) it must be proposed that the book was in use over a period of ten years.

Shown is a preparatory sketch for the painting ‘Tabley, the Seat of Sir J. F. Leicester, Bart: Windy Day'. Pencil studies for the companion view of Tabley, 'Calm Morning', are on ff.5v-6r and 8r.