Maps and Plans

Our maps are not well catalogued at present, but see our leaflet here for a more detailed overview.

Our collection of maps mainly concentrates on the city of Bath and its growth from the 17th century onwards. Development and planning maps began appearing in the late 18th century and increased in frequency through the 19th century to the present day. There are plans relating to specific developments and major projects undertaken through the centuries.

General street maps, including several tourist maps, are frequently found in the collection. Although these mainly concentrate on the city, there are a number that include the surrounding country.

Ordnance Survey maps start appearing the early 19th century, becoming more detailed at larger scales from the last quarter of the century.

The term ‘Maps and Plans’ covers topographical maps (such as OS maps) and plans of specific outdoor spaces (such as cemeteries and estates). Architectural plans are dealt with in the Building History section of this website.

Very few of the maps have been catalogued so please email the Record Office if you have a specific request. We sell digitised copies of the Bath Blitz maps, the 1852 Cotterell town plans, the 1885 OS town plan maps, and the Ralph Allen estate plan – see our Shop page for details.