Ordnance Survey 1:2,500 County Series

Published 1855-1896
(available from http://www.cassinimaps.co.uk/shop/downloads.asp)

The origins of the 1:2,500 maps date back to 1840 when it had been decided to extend the 1:10,560 series mapping project to cover the whole of Great Britain. However, it soon became clear that more detailed maps were needed. After prolonged debate about the scale, format and (inevitably) the cost of the new surveys – it was eventually agreed that the whole country would be surveyed at 1:2,500 except for areas of moorland and mountain where 1:10,560 was deemed sufficient.

The small army of surveyors was once more despatched across Britain while teams of engravers and printers in Southampton eagerly awaited the material this operation would so painstakingly collect.

The first maps at 1:2,500 (roughly 25 inches to the mile, or roughly one square inch to one acre) were published in 1855 with coverage of the cultivated parts of Great Britain being completed in 1896. By then, a thorough revision had already started; indeed, the process of updating the information and publishing the results in a variety of formats has continued until the present day.

Almost every man-made feature of any significance is displayed on these maps which thus form a definitive record of the changing landscape of Britain since the middle of the 19th century. They are of considerable importance to historians (although this would have been inconceivable to their creators). The detail zooms in to house-level and offers a wealth of additional information concerning land usage, communications and boundaries. For genealogists they are of particular use and interest. Not only do they offer countless research clues which no other source can match but they also reveal every nuance of the landscape inhabited by past generations, so helping to explain many of the preoccupations and limitations that ruled their lives.

New 1:2500 County Series Maps

We’re delighted to announce Ordnance Survey’s  highly detailed 19th-century mapping is now available on our website.

This means you can create your own A4 or A3  1:2,500 map, centred on any point you choose, and we will deliver it to you as a PDF file within minutes.

To create your map simply:
Go to our website http://www.cassinimaps.co.uk/shop/downloads.asp
Enter a place name or post code in the search box
Choose your scale and map size from the panel above the present-day locator map.
Click on ‘Choose map type’ to see thumbnail views of the map/s you’ve selected.
Dating from the 1860s to the 1880s, these fascinating maps are the first ever produced at this highly detailed scale, revealing virtually every man-made feature of the Victorian landscape.

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Cassini Maps Old Series maps can be found on the www.cassinimaps.co.uk website or by going directly to http://www.cassinimaps.co.uk/shop/printed.asp
Cassini Maps can be ordered as downloads, printed (rolled in a tube and posted), mounted (ready for framing or ready framed). Cassini also offers a range of gifts, many available with maps centred on the location of your choice. Gifts include Jigsaws, Placemats and Coasters, Box sets, Framed maps,Historical Map Gift box sets, large format maps and maps from our British Library Map Collection range.