Strip road maps of Essex from the 17th to 19th centuries

Ogilby published his monumental Britannia in 1675, but it was hardly a book to take with you - it was a coffee table book, good for a gentleman to show that he had an interest in his country and was familiar with its roads and places.

There was then a gap of 44 years until there was a sudden rush (& rash) of copying - the Senex, Gardner and Bowen books all used Ogilby's maps, but printed them in books that you could take with you for use on the road (maybe).

Below are listed some of the strip maps produced for England and Wales, using examples that show the roads leading to Saffron Walden (& elsewhere in Essex); the intention is that it is easier to comapre the various publications if the pictures are all of the same area.

The dimensions against each map are Height x Width. The measurements are of the outermost neat line of the map (not the size of the sheet of paper).

Thumbnail maps Mapmakers, their Atlases and Maps
Thumbnail: Ogilby 1675

John Ogilby
Britannia

1675         325mm x 428mm
The start of all strip maps and of British Road Books.

Thumbnail: Gardner 1719

Thomas Gardner
A Pocket-Guide to the English Traveller

1719         172mm x 274mm
Reduced copy of Ogilby's Britannia.

Thumbnail: Senex 1719

John Senex
An Actual Survey of all the Principal Roads of England and Wales

1719         150mm x 219mm
Reduced copy of Ogilby's Britannia.

          Thumbnail: Bowen 1720

Bowen & Owen
Britannia Depicta, or Ogilby Improv'd

1720         181mm x 113mm
Reduced copy of Ogilby's Britannia, but this time with lots of additional information on places and maps of counties.

  Thumbnail: Bowles 1757

John Bowles
An Actual Survey of all the Principal Roads of England and Wales

1757         150mm x 210mm
The maps are now printed double sided, with plate numbers.

  Thumbnail: Jefferys 1775

Thomas Jefferys
Jefferys's Itinerary: or, Travellers Companion

1775         153mm x 205mm
Thinner strips, but otherwise little changed.

  Thumbnail: Bowles 1782

Carington Bowles
Bowles's Post-Chaise Companion

1782         135mm x 152mm
Same underlying map, but smaller again.

  Thumbnail: Paterson 1800

Daniel Paterson
Paterson's British Itinerary

1785         147mm x 86mm
Strip maps complementing his more frequently printed Paterson's Roads.

  Thumbnail: Smith 1826

Charles Smith
Smith's New Pocket Companion

1826         155mm x 95mm
A new set of smaller scale strip maps for England & Wales.


© Peter Walker 2014 - 2017