Part of Sheet 18 of Cotterell's map of Bath,
1852/3, showing the upper part of Southgate Street and the small
courts running off it.
Part of an Ordnance Survey 1:500 scale map,
1885, showing the eastern end of Royal Crescent. The layouts
of the gardens can be seen clearly; the hatched areas show
glasshouses.
Old maps can show the 'footprint' of a house, and -
from the date of the map on which it first appears - suggest when
it was built. The Record Office holds a wide range of maps.
The following are especially useful:
- Ordnance Survey Maps 1:2500 (25 ins. to the mile),
1885, 1902, 1932
- Ordnance Survey large-scale (1:500),1885 - these give
fascinating detail, even showing the layout of gardens.
- Cotterell’s 1852 map of Bath, the earliest large-scale plan of
the city
- Early maps prior to 1852 tend to be small scale and only cover
the city centre. Among the best are Harcourt Masters’ city maps of
1794 and 1808, John Wood’s plan of 1735, and Thomas Thorpe’s 1742
map of Bath and 5 miles around.
- Tithe maps (c.1840) and earlier parish maps are useful for
properties outside the city centre.