1817 Ordnance Survey map including Combe Down

Old maps are fascinating.  

Just seeing what an area looked like 100 or more years ago on and Ordnance Survey map can give real insights into the place.

Of course very old maps tend to be either somewhat inaccurate or have little detailed data because of their scale.

Even so they can be interesting and the history of the maps themselves is almost as fascinating.

As most people know the mapping of the British Isles has been led by the Ordnance Survey, which was, effectively, started after the Jacobite rising of 1745.

The Duke of Cumberland (1721 -1765) realised the army did not have good maps of the Scottish Highlands.

In 1747, Lieutenant Colonel David Watson proposed a map of the Highlands to subjugate the clans.

King George II charged Watson with making a military survey of the Highlands under the command of the Duke of Cumberland.

This eventually led to the Principal Triangulation of Great Britain (1783–1853), a project carried out between 1784 and about 1853 at the instigation of senior surveyor General William Roy (1726–1790) and to the creation of the Ordnance Survey.

Anglo French survey of 1784-1790 proposed mesh
Anglo French survey of 1784-1790 proposed mesh by William Roy – Scanned from Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London vol77: 188–226 1787

In 1801, the first one-inch-to-the-mile (1:63,360 scale) map of Kent was published.

During the next twenty years, roughly a third of England and Wales was mapped at the same scale under the direction of William Mudge (1762 – 1820).

Somerset was mapped by 1817. It was tough work, Major Thomas Colby (1784 – 1852) walked 586 miles in 22 days in 1819.

The map of that covers Combe Down, that was published in 1817, shows surprisingly little change has occurred . Development of housing , yes, but the shape and the main features are very recognizable.

Combe Down Ordnance Survey first series 1817
Combe Down Ordnance Survey first series 1817

This work is based on data provided through www.VisionofBritain.org.uk and uses historical material which is copyright of the Great Britain Historical GIS Project and the University of Portsmouth.

author avatar
thecassyput Founder
Experience   Prior to Now, Founder, 2013 - Present - Local history research and Wₑbₛᵢₜₑ & bₗₒg ₐbₒᵤₜ Cₒₘbₑ DₒwSeₑₒₚₗₑ, bᵤᵢₗdᵢₙgₛ, ᵢₙₛₜᵢₜᵤₜᵢₒₙₛ ₒᵥₑᵣ ₜₕₑ ₗₐₛₜ ₂₅₀ yₑₐᵣₛ₊. #cₒₘbₑdₒwₙ #ₘₒₙₖₜₒₙcₒₘbₑ #ₚᵣᵢₒᵣₚₐᵣₖ #ₗₒcₐₗₕᵢₛₜₒᵣy #ₜwᵢₜₜₑᵣₛₜₒᵣᵢₐₙₛWₑbₛᵢₜₑ & bₗₒg ₐbₒᵤₜ Cₒₘbₑ Dₒwₙ ₚₑₒₚₗₑ, bᵤᵢₗdᵢₙgₛ, ᵢₙₛₜᵢₜᵤₜᵢₒₙₛ ₒᵥₑᵣ ₜₕₑ ₗₐₛₜ ₂₅₀ yₑₐᵣₛ₊. #cₒₘbₑdₒwₙ #ₘₒₙₖₜₒₙcₒₘbₑ #ₚᵣᵢₒᵣₚₐᵣₖ #ₗₒcₐₗₕᵢₛₜₒᵣy #ₜwᵢₜₜₑᵣₛₜₒᵣᵢₐₙₛ   Member Board Of Trustees & Director, Museum of Bath Stone - (Combe Down Stone Legacy Trust) Nov 2017 - Apr 2018 6 mos The Museum of Bath Stone tells the story of Combe Down Stone, the material from which the Georgian City of Bath was built and Ralph Allen, the man behind the enterprise. Non executive director Innovecom - Mar 2002 - Dec 2017 15 yrs 10 mos. IT and ebusiness.   Director, E-CRM Solutions - Feb 1999 - Jan 2014 15 yrs. Internet and direct marketing agency dealing with SME clients.Internet and direct marketing agency dealing with SME clients usaing coding partners in Sofia, Bulgaria.   Non Executive Chairman, Innovantage - Mar 1999 - Aug 2012 · 13 yrs 6 mos Recruitment information.   Managing Director, Person to Person Services Ltd - 2002 - 2004 · 2 yrs London, United Kingdom and Canada Set up.   Partner & Director RPM Business Strategies & Solutions - 1997 - 2002 5 yrs Implementation consultancy.   Chief Executive Officer, CGA Group - 1996 - 1997 1 yr Turnround and £20m MBO in insurance.   Non Executive Director, Firstline Insurance -1996 - 1997 1 yr Bermuda captive insurance company.   Director, Oriel Group plc -1994 - 1996 2 yrs. Insurance broker.   General Manager, Royal Insurance -1987 - 1994 7 yrs. Created major direct insurer. Chairman, The Insurance Service plc - 1987 - 1994 7 yrs Set up and ran. Managing Director, Cavendish Insurance plc - 1987 - 1994 7 yrs Set up and ran.   Vice President, Director of Business Development, Citibank - 1986 - 1987 1.5 yr Created JV with Storehouse. Marketing Director, Storecard -1986 - 1987 1.5 yr. Set up and grew.   Marketing Director, Welbeck Finance plc -1981 - 1985 4 yrs. Created marketing machine.   Marketing Executive, American Express, -1978 - 1981 3 yrs. Doubled UK Corporate Card division.   Sales Executive, Sherry House Ltd. 1974 - 1976 2 yrs Represented international brands to major accounts.   Cellar & Shop Manager Pearl Vintners -1972 - 1974 2 yrs. Shipped and bottled wine imports, ran wholesale and direct distribution & onsite retail outlet.   Resort Representative, Martlet Travel - 1970 - 1971 · 1 yr. Brighton and Jersey, Telemarketing Adviser for holidays then Resort Representative   Founder Member: Institute of Direct Marketing. Member: Chartered Institute of Marketing. Chartered Management Institute. The Marketing Society. Association of MBAs. Institute of Directors. Also: Member of (B.) D.M.A.Council for 5 years. Member of D.M.C. (now I.D.M.) Council for 5 years. External Examiner for (B.) D.M.A. Diploma for 3 years. Helped to found the Telephone Preference Service. Entrepreneur then retired family man with a real interest in local history