Maps of Wales
In this Maps of Wales section we are building a collection of maps plans and surveys depicting the whole of Wales as well as the Welsh Counties, Welsh Coastal Charts and Welsh Town Plans. The Maps of Wales available can provide an interesting and valuable resource into peoples lives and heritage.
The first printed map of Wales was published by Ortelius in his Theatrum Orbis Terrarum. It was drawn by Humphry Lhuyd; a Welsh physician who produced some excellent manuscript maps of England and Wales. This was shortly before Christopher Saxton's "Atlas of England and Wales" was published in 1579. In this atlas Saxton included maps of Wales but they were of regions rather than counties and the scales changed for each map.
Maps of Wales - This months featured items
Maps of Wales
John Speed
When John Speed compiled his atlas of 1611 he compiled one large map of Wales to show the counties in relation to one another. His lovely map shows the main physical features and also has views of the cathedral cities down the sides of the map. Speed then maps each county with inset town plans and beautiful decoration.
Other famous cartographers
Many other famous cartographers followed Speed in producing some very attractive maps of Wales in the ensuing centuries, some are listed below;
- Jan Jansson – South Wales - 1646, North and Central Wales - 1651
- Nicholas Sanson - 1658
- Joannes Jansson – North Wales - 1659
- J. Blaeu – Wales - 1664
- Robert Morden's Maps of Wales for Camdens Brittannia – 1695 - 1720
- Thomas Taylor – Welsh County Maps - 1718
- Herman Moll - South Wales – 1724
- Lewis Morris – Welsh Marine Surveys - 1748
- John Cary – South Wales in 1787 and 1809
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