Maps general

Ordnance Survey maps

These cover the whole of the historic county of Gloucestershire including areas now in South Gloucestershire. The 6 inch to a mile and 25 inch to a mile series date from the 1880s. There is also a 1 inch to a mile series which dates from c. 1820.  Several editions have been produced over the years.  Many OS maps can now be viewed online. For more information, please see Research Mini Guide: Ordnance Survey maps.

Tithe maps and apportionments

These maps were created after the Tithe Commutation Act, 1838 to rationalise the payment of tithes to the church.  They include details of land owners and tenants in each parish. Most of these maps date from the late 1830s or early 1840s.  They have been digitised by the Know Your Place West of England digital mapping project and can be viewed via the KYP website. For more information, please see Research Mini Guide: Tithe Maps.

Inclosure maps and awards

Inclosure maps show how the landscape changed after the open fields and commons were enclosed.  So they do not necessarily show the whole parish – only the land that was inclosed.  But the awards do include details of land owners and tenants.  They have been digitised by the Know Your Place West of England digital mapping project and can be viewed via the KYP website www.kypwest.org.uk. For more information please see Research Mini Guide: Inclosure Records.

1910 Valuation records

These were compiled as part of the Finance Act, 1909-1910, which brought in a new tax based on the increase in the value of property. The maps are based on the 2nd edition (c. 1902) Ordnance Survey sheets.  The books of reference include information about landowners and tenants, land use and value.. For more information, please see Research Mini Guide: 1910 Valuation Maps. There is also useful information on the Bristol & Gloucestershire Archaeological Society’s project website http://www.glos1909survey.org.uk/index.html

Parish and estate maps

We hold other maps, which were created as ‘one offs’ for a specific purpose.  The amount of detail can vary so some cover a whole parish while others only show the property belonging to a particular person. Try searching the online catalogue for these maps or you can check the map index cards in the searchroom.

Town plans

For the larger towns, including Cheltenham and Gloucester, we usually have street plans and/or Goad Insurance maps which include information about individual businesses. You can search for these in the online catalogue.

Plans of Gloucester

There is a box of photocopies of maps of Gloucester from Roman times to the 2000s.  Please ask if you would like to see it.

Know your place

Our main series of maps, including the 1st, 2nd and 3rd edition Ordnance Survey maps, tithe and inclosure maps and many estate maps, have been digitised and are freely available via the Know Your Place web resource.  You can read more about the project here.

We have also made a video to help you get the most out of the resource.  You can watch it below.