A HISTORY OF CYCLING IN 100 MAPS

Hi there, map-lovers! 

Available on this site is a complete history of cycling maps, including over a hundred carefully-selected and restored extracts from the main providers of maps. It has been created specifically and wholly for that purpose for the general public with an interest in such matters. it was first published in 2021.

Included are

• Introduction
• Development of Cycling
• individual pages on the various map publishers
• Sources and references
• How to date Cycling Maps
• The Black Museum - map mistakes

It is not a blog in the normal sense, i. e. a forum for comment and exchange - think of it rather as an electronic 'coffe-table' book, to be browsed through at leisure or referred to for factual information. So instead of posts (except of course this one), content is divided onto the various pages listed across the Home Page. The full list can be accessed by clicking on the horizintal display of page names, or layer symbol in the top left corner of the Home Page:

An index to all the map extracts (now over a hundred) included in this Blog is given at the end of this Post.

If visiting this Blog for the first time, you are probably best viewing the 'Introduction' and 'Development of Cycling' pages, before visiting the map producers you are particularly interested in. Or you may be interested in the background to a particular map you have come across. A page is devoted to tips on dating maps.

Comments, which are welcome, should be made to the following email address rather than this blog:

                                               richardjharries@googlemail.com             

Please note that I am not a general dealer in the buying and selling of maps.

I had intended to make the contents of the blog also available as a pdf file, but given the level of accessibility afforded by the blog format it would be somewhat retrograde to fossilise it in a one-off pdf, as the content is still being expanded and tweaked. To try and paginate it for printing as hard-copy would be almost impossible, as the map extracts are of different sizes and, in any case, are much clearer viewed electronically than they could ever be on paper. Remember that you will generally be viewing these extracts at a larger scale than the original - I always quote the original size.

RECENT UPDATES

January 2023 - I have added a new page on R. J. Mecredy, who published both road maps and road books for Ireland in the 1890s and 1900s.

February 2023 - I have added three map extracts - the Teesside area from a Gall & Inglis Graded Map of late 1930s, Coleraine area from an OS of Ireland half-inch early edition, and an extract from the 1897 Bartholomew 'Pocket Series' map of County Donegal. I have tidied up the section on Bacon's Irish maps, though the exact comings and goings of their cycling maps is a bit of a puzzle.

April 2023 - I have added a short section (under Miscellaneous Map Makers) on James Wyld, who produced a few cycling maps (or, rather, cycling-branded versions of some elderly maps) in the 1880s.

July 2023 - I have added an extract of the early Ordnance Survey quarter-inch map of the Cambridge area (on the Development of Cycling page). I have supplemented notes on Bacon's early small-scale cycling maps, though a few puzzles remain. There are numerous other minor changes.

September 2023 - recent map additions are those of Essex (Bacon), Ilkely area (Development of Cycling) and Newhaven/Seaford (Philip), plus the usual minor tweaks. I have tracked down the origin of the Bacon map of the Dublin area: it is from Aaron Arrowsmith's Map of Ireland, dating back to 1811 (or earlier: that is the date of a copy on the David Rumsey website).

I have added an extract of the Hull area from Letts' 1884 County Map, and the comparative section of the much earlier Walker map from which it is was derived.

October 2023 - larger extracts for the Amersham area, and Barrow in Furness, have been given under Bartholomew.

December 2023 - I have tidied up some dates and added others for Gall & Inglis maps and their Contour Road Books, to assist in dating copies. The text has been expanded.

February 2024 - I have added a new section on Bartholomew Small-scale National Maps - those at 10, 13 and 16 inches to the mile, with some representative map extracts. I note that the Bartholomew page accounts for about 25% of the whole blog, though this probably under-represents their share of the cycling map market. As a pdf this one blog page runs to over sixty 'paper' pages!

A few other map extracts have been added and some minor text changes.

April 2024 - I have added a few further extracts - a Geographia map of part of Hertfordshire, duplicating that of rivals Geographers already included, and a fine Cruchley extract of the Carlisle area of the 1860s - just pre-dating the 'boneshaker' era, but a map that was to remain a cycling favourite until the end of the nineteenth century and beyond. This brings the total number of map extracts (excluding map covers etc) to 117. I'm not planning to do much further work on the site in the forthcoming months.

A Century of Road Numbering

2023 marks a hundred years since the official publication of the classification of British main roads - the network of 'A' and 'B' roads (motorways did not appear until 1958). Since 1909 motorists had been paying into the Road Fund, which was intended to be a ring-fenced pot of money to pay for new and improved roads. It would be spent through a system of grants to local authorities, with higher rates of grant to the more important roads. This required a national road classification system  to be Introduced. Work was started prior to World War One, but it was not until 1919 that significant resources were available through the newly-formed Ministry of Transport. A considerable amount of consulation was undertaken, as the contemporary 'main road' network was largely that inherited from the old turnpike era, having seen virtually no road building for half a century, and not necessarily meeting the needs of motor traffic.

The finalised network was published in 1923, with a definitive list and accompanying maps of the new Class 1 and Class 2 roads, referenced as 'A' and 'B' roads (there was also a third class - 'classified unnumbered': these would not be included in the national numbering scheme but some county councils did mark their locally-numbered 'C' roads on their signposts). Map publishers were quick to add these numbers to their maps (some in advance of official publication), though the Ordnance Survey was slow to adopt them, preferring to retain its sytem of indicating roads by quality rather than by its allocated class. However, it did publish a separate series of index maps showing the new classifications, an extract of which is given on the Ordnance Survey page under 'half-inch' maps. Some more notes on the numbering system and its development are given on the 'How to Date Maps' page.

Fifty Years of the Landranger

It seems like only yesterday... i still tend to think of the 1:50,000 Landranger maps, as replacements for the long-lived 'one inch' map, as a fairly recent innovation, but the map celebrates its fiftieth birthday this year. It was 1974 when the sheets covering southern England and the whole of Wales appeared, the remainder of England and Scotland appearing in 1976.

The 1974 sheets were, in fact, the old one-inch maps enlarged from 1:63,660 to 1:50,000, with partial metrication - the contours were those at the old 50ft interval though now labelled with heights in metres, like the spot heights, but the base map was unchanged. Map size was 40km by 40km, compared to the standard one-inch 45km by 40km; this meant a larger physical map which was less convenient for jacket pocket or saddlebag. Sheet boundaries were new, so in some cases it was worth snapping up the old one-inch while stocks lasted if the area was more convenient.

There was some experimentation with content before the 1976 sheets appeared, termed 'Second Series' and fully metricated. As first published some administrative boundaries were shown in a bold dashed line: this caused the Snowdon sheet to be issued with a sticker pointing out that those striding across the mountains were not to be misinterpreted as footpaths!

The scale of the old one-inch map was long considered on the large size for cycling use, but changing circumstances and habits now demand something on the 1:50,000 scale, which can clearly show all minor roads, tracks and routes through or avoiding complicated road junctions. The life-span of the Landranger has been in parallel with the development of the 1:25,000 Explorer maps as its only paper rival, other than bespoke local cycling maps, and with falling hard-copy sales it may be that only one of the two survives in that format.

Index of Map Extracts

This list covers all map extracts included in this work, listed separately for England Wales, Scotland, Ireland and Other, broadly listing from north to south but keeping counties together. Dates are those of known or estimated publication: maps may be of much earlier origin. Many maps were also published under other publisher’s names. Scales are of course only applicable to the paper originals. List updated April 2024. 

The clustering of maps in certain areas is deliberate, as it enables comparisons to be made between different publishers’ products and changes over time.    

	Area/date	Publisher	Scale	Included in Page/section
England
	Northumberland: Berwick on Tweed area, 1910	Gall & Inglis	1:126,720	Gall & Inglis: Gall & Inglis Strip Maps
	Northumberland: Alnwick, Rothbury area c1900	W. & A. K. Johnston	1:190,000	W. & A. K. Johnston: 3m to 1” Early Editions
	Northumberland: Alnwick, Rothbury area c1925	G. W. Bacon		G. W. Bacon: Bacon’s County Maps
	Carlisle area, c.1868	Cruchley	1:126,720	Gall & Inglis (Cruchley)
	Lake District, 1938	Bartholomew	1:190,000	Bartholomew, Overview
	Lake District: Ambleside, Windermere, Kendal & Wastwater	G. W. Bacon		Black Museum: Roads that Nearly Were
	Lake District: Ambleside, Windermere, Coniston, 1914	Gall & Inglis	1:126,720	Gall & Inglis: Gall & Inglis Safety or Graded Map (½” Edition)
	Lake District: Ambleside, Windermere, Coniston, Kendal, c.1890	George Philip & Son		George Philip & Son: County Maps & County Cycling Maps
	Lake District: Ambleside, Windermere, Coniston, Kendal, c.1890	Ward Lock	1:190,000	W. & A. K. Johnston: 3m to 1” Later Editions
	Barrow in Furness & Environs, 1912 & 1917	Bartholomew	1:63,360, 1:190,000	Bartholomew: Pocket Series Later Additions
	Lancaster & Environs, c1870	Ordnance Survey	1:63,360	Ordnance Survey: OS First Edition
	Durham/Yorkshire: Middleton in Teesdale, 1930	Bartholomew	1:253,440	Bartholomew: The 1920s Quarter-inch Gt Britain Series
	Durham/Yorkshire: Stockton & Middlesbrough area, 1988	Bartholomew	1:100,000	Bartholomew: Bartholomew half-inch Maps, from Metrication to Withdrawal
	Durham/Yorkshire: Stockton & Middlesbrough area, c1938	Gall & Inglis	1:126,720	Gall & Inglis Graded Maps
	Yorkshire Dales: Hawes, Askrigg & Muker area	Bartholomew	1:253,440	Black Museum: The Blind leading the Blind
	Yorkshire Dales: Skipton, Grassington & Wharfedale 1921	Ordnance Survey	1:253,440	Ordnance Survey: OS Quarter-inch Scale Maps
	Yorkshire Dales: Settle, Hawes, Leyburn, Pateley Bridge	G. W. Bacon	1:316,800	G. W. Bacon: Bacon’s 5m to an Inch Numbered Cycling Map Series
	Yorkshire: Ripon, Thirsk area 1927	Ordnance Survey	1:126,720	Ordnance Survey: OS Half-inch Scale Maps
	Yorkshire: Ilkley area	Gall & Inglis	1:126,720	Development of Cycling
	Yorkshire: Leeds, Bradford, Dewsbury, Barnsley, Doncaster, Castleford area c1900	Hovis (George Philip & Son)	1:316,800	Miscellaneous Map Makers
	Yorkshire: Rotherham & Sheffield area c1880	Gall & Inglis	1:126,720	Gall & Inglis
	Yorkshire: Hull area, 1884	Letts (Walker)	1:231,000	Letts
	Manchester & Environs	G. W. Bacon	1:316,800	G. W. Bacon: Bacon’s 5m to an Inch Numbered Cycling Map Series
	Manchester city centre, c1905	Gall & Inglis		Gall & Inglis: Contour Road Books
	Central England & East Wales, 1945 Youth Hostels map	Bartholomew		Bartholomew: Small-scale National Maps
	Cheshire: Chester, Knutsford, Crewe, 1939	Bartholomew	1:253,440	Black Museum
	Cheshire: Wilmslow & Altrincham area 1914	Ordnance Survey	1:126,720	Ordnance Survey: OS Half-inch Scale Maps
	Derbyshire: Bakewell & Matlock area, c1898	Bartholomew	1:126,720	Bartholomew: Bartholomew Half-Inch Maps (England & Wales), Maps predating the National Series
	Derbyshire: Castleton, Hathersage & Vicinity, 1923	Ordnance Survey	1:126,720	Ordnance Survey: OS Half-inch Scale Maps
	Derbyshire: Castleton & Vicinity, 1972	Ordnance Survey	1: 25,000	Ordnance Survey: OS 1:25k maps
	Derby & Environs, c1912	Bartholomew	1:253,440	Introduction
	Nottinghamshire: The Dukeries, 1914	E. J. Larby	NTS	Road Books
	Notts/Leics/Lincs: Fosse Way, c 1910	G. W. Bacon	1:316, 800	Introduction
	Lincolnshire/Leics: Grantham, Melton Mowbray area c1965	Geographia	1:253,440	Geographia/Geographers
	Lincolnshire: Grantham & Sleaford area, c1880 & 1918	W. H. Smith/ Bartholomew	1:253,440	Bartholomew: W. H. Smith Pocket Series: 1891 Renumbering
	Shropshire: Shrewsbury & Wellington area, 1933	Ordnance Survey	1:126,720	Ordnance Survey: OS Half-inch Scale Maps
	Shropshire: Shrewsbury & Wroxeter area, 1895	Savory’s, Cirencester	1:126,720	Black Museum: Just Plain Wrong
	Shropshire/Worcestershire: Bewdley, Arley & Vicinity, c1940	Geographia	1:126,720	Black Museum: Just Plain Wrong
	West Midlands: Shrewsbury, Birmingham, Coventry, Hereford, Gloucester	G. W. Bacon	1:700,000	G. W. Bacon: Bacon’s Small-scale Cycling Maps
	Wolverhampton & vicinity, c1896	G. W. Bacon	1:63,360	G. W. Bacon: Miscellaneous Bacon Maps
	Warwickshire: Stratford on Avon, Alcester & Henley in Arden area, 1903	Bartholomew	1:126,720	Bartholomew: The England & Wales National Half-inch Series
	Herefordshire/Worcestershire: Kidderminster, Worcester & Leominster area, 1928	Bartholomew	1:253,440	Bartholomew: 1897 Quarter-inch England & Wales, 1866-1927 Series
	Herefordshire/Worcestershire: Kidderminster, Worcester & Leominster area, 1936	Bartholomew	1:253,440	Bartholomew: The 1920s Quarter-inch Gt Britain Series
	Herefordshire: Pembridge & Weobley area, c1930	G. W. Bacon	1:140,000	G. W. Bacon: Development post WW1
	Peterborough & King’s Lynn area, 1888	James Wyld	1:450,000	Miscellaneous Map Makers
	Northampton & Vicinity, 1904	Bartholomew	1:126,720	How to Date Maps
	Cambridge & environs, 1903	Ordnance Survey/ G. W. Bacon	1:253,440	Development of Cycling
	Buckinghamshire: Buckingham & Milton Keynes area, c1880	Letts	1:126,720	Letts
	Bedfordshire: Luton, Leighton Buzzard area c1905	George Philip & Son	1:126,720	George Philip & Son: Philips’ Clear Print Half inch to a Mile Series
	Norfolk: Cromer, Sheringham & Holt area, c1897 & 1904	Bartholomew	1:126,720	Bartholomew: Early Half-inch Maps preceding the National Series
	Norfolk: Cromer, Sheringham & Holt area 1961	Ordnance Survey	1:126,720	Ordnance Survey: OS Half-inch Scale Maps
	Norwich & Environs, 1908	Ordnance Survey	1:63,360	Ordnance Survey: OS 2nd & Subsequent Editions
	Gloucestershire: Forest of Dean & Wye Valley c1893	Bartholomew	1:253,440	Bartholomew: Bartholomew’s Quarter-inch England & Wales 1866-1927
	Gloucestershire: Gloucester, Cheltenham, Stroud, Cirencester c1906	W. & A. K. Johnston	1:190,000	W. & A. K. Johnston: Johnston’s 3m to 1” Early Editions
	Oxford & Environs, c1920	George Philip & Son	1:200,000	George Philip & Son: Later versions of the Ravenstein mapping
	Oxford & Environs, c1903	George Philip & Son	1:126,720	George Philip & Son: Philips’ Clear Print Half inch to a Mile Series
	Hertfordshire: Stevenage, Puckeridge, Buntingford, Baldock, c1938	Geographers	1:138,000	Geographia/Geographers
	Hertfordshire: Stevenage, Puckeridge, Buntingford, Baldock, 1942	Geographia	1:126.720	Geographia/Geographers
	Essex & bordering counties, c1912	G. W. Bacon	1:824,000	G. W. Bacon: Bacon small-scale maps
	Buckinghamshire: Amersham & Beaconsfield, 1936	Bartholomew	1:63,600	Bartholomew: Pocket Series Subsequent Additions
	London & Environs, 1914	Bartholomew	1:253,440	Bartholomew: The 1920s Quarter-inch Gt Britain Series
	London Road Surface Map, 1922	Bartholomew	1:31,680	Bartholomew: Pocket Series Subsequent Additions
	London West: Richmond, Uxbridge, Staines c1890	G. W. Bacon	1:63,360	G. W. Bacon: Miscellaneous Bacon Maps
	Surrey: Dorking, Reigate & Leatherhead, c1920	E. J. Larby	1:126,000	E. J. Larby
	Surrey: Dorking, Reigate & Horsham c1930	George Philip & Son	1:200,000	George Philip & Son: Later versions of the Ravenstein mapping
	Kent: Maidstone & Environs, c1900	George Philip & Son	1:200,000	George Philip & Son: Philips’ 3m to an inch Series
	Kent: Maidstone & Environs, 1969	George Philip & Son	1:200,000	George Philip & Son: Other Cycling Publications
	Somerset/Wilts: Bath, Trowbridge area c1900	G. W. Bacon		G. W. Bacon: Bacon’s New Series of Cycling Maps
	Salisbury & Environs (postcard), c1908	G. W. Bacon		G. W. Bacon: Miscellaneous Bacon Maps
	Winchester & Environs, 1906	Ordnance Survey	1:126,720	Ordnance Survey: OS Half-inch Scale Maps
	Sussex: Rye & Winchelsea, 1927	Bartholomew	1:253,440	Bartholomew: The 1920s Quarter-inch Gt Britain Series
	Sussex: Newhaven area 1897	George Philip & Son	1:200,000	George Philip & Son: Philips’ 3m to an inch Series
	Isle of Wight: Newport, Shanklin, Ventnor & Niton area, c1895	Bartholomew	1:126,720	Bartholomew: The Bartholomew – Baddeley Connection
	Devon/Somerset: Taunton & Tiverton area, c1894/1910	Gall & Inglis	1:633,600	Gall & Inglis: Gall & Inglis ‘Safety’ or ‘Graded’ Maps (small-scale national maps)
	Devon: Torrington, Chulmleigh, Okehampton, Hatherleigh	Bartholomew/ W. H. Smith	1:253,440	Black Museum: Roads that Never Were
	Devon: Exeter, Plymouth area	Bazaar Exchange & Mart	1:760,000	Introduction
	Devon: Crediton & Environs, 1919	Ordnance Survey	1:63,360	Ordnance Survey: OS 2nd & Subsequent Editions
	Devon: Exeter & Environs, c1910	G. W. Bacon	1:85,000	G. W. Bacon: Bacon Editions of Bartholomew Half-inch Maps
	Devon/Cornwall: Plymouth area, various dates	Bartholomew	1:126,720, 1:100,000	Bartholomew: Bartholomew Half-Inch Maps, The Combined Great Britain National Half-inch Series
	Cornwall: Padstow & Wadebridge area c1960	W. & A. K. Johnston	1:126,720	W. & A. K. Johnston: Johnston’s Half Inch to Mile Series
Wales
	Bettws-y-coed & Llanrwst area, c1890	Bartholomew	1:126,720	Bartholomew: Half-Inch Maps (England & Wales), Maps predating the National Series
	Dolgellau, Barmouth, Ffestiniog & Harlech area 1957	Ordnance Survey	1:250,000	Ordnance Survey: OS Quarter-inch Scale Maps
	Tregaron, Llanwrtyd Wells & Llandovery 1915	Michelin	1:200,000	Michelin
	Powys: Llandrindod Wells, Rhayader & Builth area c1905	Tom Norton		G. W. Bacon: Bacon’s New (1895) Series of Cycling Maps
	Powys/Dyfed: Brecon & Llandovery area c1900	Gall & Inglis	1:316,800	Gall & Inglis
	Powys: Presteigne, New Radnor, Knighton c1920	Geographia	1:190,000	Geographia/Geographers
	Glamorgan: Rhondda, Aberdare c1926	W. & A. K. Johnston	1:190,000	W. & A. K. Johnston: 3m to 1” Later Editions
	Glamorgan: Cardiff, Llantrisant & Bridgend area, 1913	Ordnance Survey	1:253,440	Ordnance Survey: OS Quarter-inch Scale Maps
	Monmouthshire & Wye Valley c1893	Bartholomew	1:253,440	Bartholomew: Bartholomew’s Quarter-inch England & Wales 1866-1927
Scotland
	Inverness, Ullapool & Lairg area, 1901	Gall & Inglis	1:633,600	Gall & Inglis: Gall & Inglis ‘Safety’ or ‘Graded’ Maps (small-scale national maps)
	Loch Alsh, Mam Ratigan, c1892	Bartholomew	1:126,720	Bartholomew: Scottish Half-inch Maps, New Series
	Aberdeen & Deeside, c1908	G. W. Bacon	1:190,000	G. W. Bacon: Bacon’s Scottish Maps
	Oban & Dalmally area, c1870	A. & C. Black	1:253,000	Bartholomew: Barts Quarter-inch Map of Scotland 1862 - 1911
	Oban & Dalmally area, 1930s	Bartholomew	1:253,000	Bartholomew: Barts Quarter-inch Map of Scotland 1911 onwards
	Stirling, Callander, 1930s	H. T. Macpherson	1:190,000	W. & A. K. Johnston: 3m to 1” Later Editions
	Helensburgh & Vicinity, c1930	Gall & Inglis	1:126,720	How to Date Maps
	Glasgow & Environs 1862/1928	A. & C. Black	1:253,440	A. & C. Black
	Edinburgh & Environs, 1875	Bartholomew	1:126,720	Bartholomew: Scottish Half-inch Maps, First Series
	Edinburgh & Environs, 1904	Bartholomew	1:126,720	Bartholomew: Scottish Half-inch Maps, New Series
	Edinburgh & Environs, c1897	W. & A. K. Johnston	1:190,000	W. & A. K. Johnston: 3m to 1” Early Editions
	Berwickshire	Bartholomew	1:633,600	Bartholomew: Small-scale National Maps
	Galashiels, Melrose & Selkirk area c1905	Gall & Inglis	1:126,720	Gall & Inglis: Gall & Inglis Safety or Graded Map (½” Edition)
	Southwest Scotland: Glasgow to Ayr, Dumfries & the Solway, c1890	Bazaar Exchange & Mart	1:760,000	Black Museum
	S. Ayrshire: Ardrossan, Irvine, Kilwinnoch, Dalry c 1900 & 1930	Gall & Inglis	1:126,000	Gall & Inglis: Gall & Inglis own numbered half-inch maps
	Dumfries-shire, c1910	G. W. Bacon	1:385,000	G. W. Bacon: Bacon’s Scottish Maps
	Southern Scotland: Castle Douglas area, c1890	W. & A. K. Johnston	1:85,000	W. & A. K. Johnston
	Southern Scotland: Castle Douglas & Kirkcudbright area, c1870	A. & C. Black	1:253,440	A. & C. Black
Ireland
	Londonderry & Environs 1970	Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland	1:126,720	Ordnance Survey: OS Half-inch Scale Maps
	Coleraine & Environs, 1912	Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland	1:126,720	Ordnance Survey: OS Half-inch Scale Maps
	Sligo & Bundoran area, 1919	Bartholomew	1:633,600	Bartholomew: Small-scale National Maps
	Dublin & Environs, c1900	G. W. Bacon	1:253,440	G. W. Bacon: Bacon’s Irish Maps
	S.W. Approaches to Dublin	Mecredy	1:126,720	Mecredy
	Killarney & Kenmare area, c1900	Bartholomew	1:253,440	Bartholomew: Bartholomew’s Quarter-inch Maps of Ireland
	Waterford & New Ross area, c1904	G. W. Bacon, OS base	1:253,440	Ordnance Survey: OS Quarter-inch Scale Maps
	Waterford & New Ross area, 1969	Bartholomew	1:253,440	Bartholomew: Bartholomew’s Quarter-inch Maps of Ireland
	Cork & Environs, 1918	Ordnance Survey	1:63,360	Ordnance Survey: OS 2nd & Subsequent Editions
Other
	Paris, SW Environs, 1947	Michelin	1:100,000	Michelin