County Series Maps of the UK
County Series Maps are available to buy as follows:
Your chosen historic local map printed to order. Framed, Mounted, Print Only or on Canvas.
Add a personal dedication within a framed print to commemorate a special day or event.
Explore the County Series Maps
Surveyed 1791-1874, published 1805-1874. Scale is 1:10,000.
The origins of the six-inch to the mile maps (1:10,560) date back to 1824 when this scale was adopted for a survey of Ireland. By 1840 it had been decided to extend the project to Great Britain. To conduct a survey at such a scale, every corner of the country, including private property, would need to be visited. The following year, the Survey Act was passed which gave surveyors the right to enter any land for the purposes of carrying out their duties. It also specified the types of boundaries that the new maps were to display (down to parish level).
Work began in Lancashire and Yorkshire in 1841 and in Scotland in 1843 with the first sheet appearing in 1846. It was not until 1890 that maps covering the whole country had been published, the first generation of what later became known as the County Series.
By that time revisions to the earlier sheets were already underway, a rolling process that continued until the last County Series sheets were superseded by the 1:10,000 National Grid Edition in the 1980s. Each sheet appeared in up to six editions, displaying various evolutions of detail, format and reproduction technology. For over a century, the Ordnance Survey’s County Series maps have revealed the changing face of Britain in compelling and painstaking detail and now provide immaculate records for 21st-century researchers and historians.
The County Series maps most areas of England and Wales. This involves combining more than one original sheet to give an appropriate area of coverage. In the process, the maps have been digitally enhanced and enlarged slightly to 1:10,000 to bring them into line with more recent maps at this metric scale.
What people say:
Added 24th April 2019
I just wanted to say thank you for your help and for the excellent service provided by Francis Frith - my order arrived yesterday, so much sooner than anticipated, and it looks fantastic!
Added 29th April 2013
We have just heard from our friend, who has received his map, and is over the moon. He is retracing all the steps of his youth, looking up the streets where family and freinds lived - just what we hoped! Thank you so much.
Added 16th March 2011
Just a quick thank you for the lovely framed maps - even better than I imagined they would be. One for my son and daughter in law for their new home in Wales, and one for us in Northamptonshire. They are fascinating and show how much places have changed over the years. Again thank you so much - excellent service and prompt delivery.
Added 19th April 2018
Hi Andrea. I have spoken to my son and his wife. They have received the picture. They are both delighted with it. Thankyou very much for your efforts.
Added 28th November 2017
Hi Andrea,
Success! All maps have just arrived and they are perfect!
Thank you so much for sorting this for me. Dad will be so pleased.
Many thanks,
Sara
Added 16th August 2013
I just wanted to say thank you for doing such a beautiful job on the map we recently ordered. It arrived exactly when you said it would. Wonderful!
Added 16th March 2011
I am writing to let you know how delighted and impressed I am with my historic map of the above address. It has provided me with a fascinating insight into my local area and looks particularly delightful in its frame. Thank you very much!
Added 16th March 2011
Just a quick line to say that I received my framed historical map today and it is utterly wonderful. The gallery style frame is perfect and everything is just how I wanted it. Many thanks for a job well done.
Added 16th March 2011
I am writing to say Thank you because I have been so impressed with your service. Unfortunately, the first item arrived damaged. A straightforward telephone call to a friendly/helpful member of your staff and a replacement was sent within 10 days. I noticed that the title of the map had been incorrectly stated on the reprint. Once again a telephone call to a friendly/helpful person and I was clear as to how things would be resolved. Within 2 weeks a replacement has once again been received. And even yesterday evening somebody telephoned me to arrange the refund to my Account of the Carriage Charge. My experience of using your service has been excellent. Mistakes and problems happen in Business all the time, but when you have an excellent Customer Service Team who are keen to resolve matters to a customers complete satisfaction it makes such a difference. If other Business took the same attitude as yourselves towards Customer Service it would make such a difference to them. I will definitely be using you again. And most certainly recommending you to others.
Added 20th March 2012
I just wanted to say a big thank you for the map I ordered from you. It is a present and I am so pleased with it, it will make a wonderful gift. I am so please I found your website and will definately be using you again. Wonderful maps and great quality.
Added 4th November 2021
Many thanks for this order - a fascinating set of four OS maps for our area going back 200 years. Lots of interesting comparisons to be made!
Kind regards,
John
Added 16th March 2011
Just to say a big thank you for the quality of the map I ordered from your company for a Christmas present. I was really pleased with it but was concerned I might not have enough wrapping paper left over- then what did i find but paper & gift tag included.
I am a very satisfied customer
Happy New Year & thanks once again to everyone concerned
Added 19th October 2016
Just a brief note to say the map has arrived safely and is all that we had hoped, and more!
Thank you for all your help and your team for completing the commission with time to spare.
Added 29th March 2019
Delighted with map. Many thanks
Added 2nd April 2019
Order received today. Beautiful!!
Thank you for the swift and excellent service
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