Property boundary records

What records are there and what information will they contain?

Maps

Maps show the boundaries of a property as it existed at that time. Useful maps include:

• Ordnance Survey maps
• Tithe maps
• Inclosure maps
• 1910 Valuation maps
• Rights of Way maps
• Estate maps

The Know Your Place West of England digital mapping project has digitised many types of maps held by Gloucestershire Archives. The Know Your Place website is the best way to view and compare Ordnance Survey, tithe and inclosure maps.

For more information please see the relevant Research Mini Guide.      

Title Deeds

These can provide a ‘biography’ of the property with details of previous owners and tenants. They include a written description of the property but the amount of precise detail can vary. Sometimes individual deeds include a plan which shows the boundaries.  For more information please see Research Mini Guide: Title Deeds.

Photographs

Photographs, particularly aerial photographs, can show the line of a boundary. So a sequence of photographs taken over a period of years can show any changes.

How to find the records

See the relevant Research Mini Guide for information on how to find maps and deeds. 

If you are looking for information on a particular property you could try searching the online catalogue on our website to see if we hold any relevant documents.  Type the name of the property into the quick search box. Then click on the “findingref” on the left hand side to view more information about each item on your hit-list. You can do a more sophisticated search used the “advanced search” option. The online catalogue “help page” explains more about this. You will need to visit Gloucestershire Archives to view any records of interest unless the catalogue entry tells you otherwise.

Please note that not everything held at Gloucestershire Archives is indexed by name.